Sharks Gain Ground

Heading into Dallas, the Sharks(39-25-2) knew that they had to straighten out their game and snap their 4 game losing streak. Even if this game didn't hold that much relevance in where the Sharks were seeded heading into the playoffs, it was a huge confidence boost to come out of Dallas with a victory. The Sharks did just that, in dominating fashion, scoring 4 even strength goals to shutout the Stars (38-22-5).

At 17:21 the Sharks took an early 1-0 lead on a Curtis Brown goal, his 8th of the season. That was plenty for Evgeni Nabokov, who stopped 26 goals for his 5th shutout of the season and his 32nd career shutout.

The Sharks finally looked like the stronger, more physical team on the ice, which made them one of the most feared teams in the league late last season and early this season.

With 8:33 left to play in the 2nd period, the Sharks drew blood once again to make it 2-0 on Ryane Clowe's 14th goal of the season. Four minutes later, San Jose was on the attack again. Matt Carle brought the puck into Dallas zone and moved it from the point to Jonathon Cheechoo, who then put the puck to the net, but Marty Turco made the initial save. Joe Pavelski was there to clean up the mess and stuff the puck past Turco into the net for his 13th goal of the season, which gave the Sharks a dominating 3-0 lead.

Dallas was given a chance to jump right back into the game when Brown was issued a double-minor for high-sticking Jussi Jokinen just 2:03 into the third. But the Sharks penalty killing unit rose to the occasion, blocking shots, clearing pucks and preserving the 3-0 lead.

Nabokov seemed possessed the entire game; sprawling out for pucks, sacrificing his body to ensure the Sharks end their skid. He was able to preserve the shutout and get the Sharks within 1 point of the Stars for second place in the Pacific Division and 9 points back of the Ducks, who beat Nashville on Sunday as well.

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Sharks Make Blockbuster Deal

With the Trade Deadline looming, the Sharks made a deal to give them real high hopes to make a push at winning the Stanley Cup. The Sharks acquired All-Star forward Bill Guerin from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Ville Nieminen, prospect Jay Barriball and a first round selection in 2007.

Members of the Sharks were instantly excited to have a player of Guerin's caliber on the team.

“We played on the same line for a year (in Boston),” said Joe Thornton. “He’s a good character. Great speed, great shot, he’s just a good team player so he’s a perfect fit for our team. He’s so fast, he can play with anyone.”

Guerin has been in the league for 14 years and brings playoff experience. He has 710 points in in 1,010 career NHL games with St. Louis, Dallas, Boston, Edmonton and New Jersey.

In their first game with the speedy forward, San Jose lost to Nashville 4-3, in a shootout, even though they were winning and dominating the entire game. Guerin's line went pointless, but they were clearly confident with the new forward on the team. It will take some time to gain some chemistry but the Sharks are looking to make a push for the Pacific Division leading Ducks, who they will face on Friday Night.

The Sharks have had their struggles when playing Anaheim this season, losing 4 of their 6 games. San Jose has looked young and weak against the strong Ducks, but with the addition of Guerin, the Sharks have added more firepower to their already devastating offense as well as a veteran presence that will help them stay poised against the Pacific leading Ducks.

The Sharks are 2 points behind Dallas and 6 points behind the Pacific Division leading Ducks, but with a win on Friday night they can close the gap to 4 points. San Jose is currently the 6th seed in the Western Division with about a month left to go in the regular season.

Follow Up
The Sharks lost to the Ducks in Anaheim, 3-1, dropping them even further behind the Ducks in the Pacific Division. Dustin Penner scored first for the Ducks who jumped out to an early 1-0 lead. With about 2 minutes left in the first period Chris Kunitz added his 22nd goal of the season to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead heading into the 2nd period. After a scoreless 2nd period, the Sharks finally got on the board with Craig Rivet's 7th goal of the season. The Sharks just acquired Rivet from Montreal last week in a deal to help the Sharks shore up their defensive issues. With 6 minutes left in regulation, Chris Pronger added his 11th goal on a Ducks Power Play.

Evgeni Nabokov saved 22 of 25 shots whereas his counterpart, Jean-Sebastien Giguere saved 30 of 31 shots for his 30th win of the season.

The Sharks again looked dominated against the almighty Ducks, who have jumped out to a 9 point lead over the Sharks and a 6 point lead over the Stars. The Sharks have lost 5 of 7 meetings against the Ducks and have been outscored 27-17 in those games. San Jose faces the Dallas Stars on Sunday afternoon in what has become a battle for second place in the Pacific Division. The Sharks have now fallen into a tie for 7th place in the West, even though about a month ago they were seeded as high as 4th place in the Western Conference.

Info from the Associated Press was Used in this Article