Burns' 2 Goals In 3rd Lift Sharks Over Stars, 5-3
The San Jose Sharks were well aware of the Dallas Stars' struggles in the third period this season, and they took advantage.
Brent Burns scored two goals in the final frame, and the Sharks overcame Tyler Seguin's hat trick and rallied to beat the Stars 5-3 on Saturday night.
San Jose scored four goals in the third period - three against Dallas backup Anders Lindback, who made 24 saves. Joe Thornton sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 19:18.
"We talked about them probably being a little bit fragile, the record they had," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said.
The Stars lost their seventh straight game (0-5-2). They had led 3-1 after two periods, with Seguin scoring all three goals. Seguin's sixth career hat trick, his second this season, came on his first three shots.
"We talked about staying the course and staying positive," Burns said. "We all hung in real tough and played real well going down the stretch."
Dallas has been outscored 21-9 in the third period this season.
"This is painful. I've never gone through anything like this," said Dallas coach Lindy Ruff, who is in his 17th season as an NHL head coach.
The Stars fell to 1-5-2 at home.
"It's beyond frustrating," Stars center Jason Spezza said. "We should be good at home. We've got to go on the road and get some wins now."
Patrick Marleau's power-play goal at 3:51 of the third cut San Jose's deficit to 3-2. Burns tied it at 6:38 and added the go-ahead goal at 10:23.
"Offensively, he's been dynamic for us," McLellan said. He's always had that in his game, so he's not surprising anybody in our organization."
Marleau and James Sheppard each had a goal and an assist. Logan Couture had three assists. Alex Stalockmade 37 saves.
"I thought Stalock made five or six that you shake your head," Ruff said. "We need a couple of those right now."
Seguin deflected Sergei Gonchar's drive from the top of the right circle past Stalock 8:03 into the game.
Seguin's second goal came at 10:26. Jamie Benn skated into the slot, turned and made a backhanded pass to Seguin, who scored with a wrist shot from the right circle.
The third goal was scored on the power play at 15:28 of the second period. The puck came to Seguin in the left circle for a one-timer past Stalock.
That came just 10 seconds after San Jose's Tyler Kennedy went to the penalty box, ending the Stars' 0 for 17 drought on power plays.
The Sharks scored at 17:14 of the first. Marc-Edouard Vlasic's shot from the left point went to Sheppard next to the net, and he put the puck behind Lindback.
In the third, Marleau put in the rebound of Joe Pavelski's shot 11 seconds into a power play.
On a 2-on-1 break, Burns took a cross-ice pass from Couture and fired a shot from the left side before Lindback could get back. The go-ahead goal came when a shot off the post went right to Burns high in the right circle, and he fired it into the net.
NOTES: Lindback made his third start this season and first at home. ... The Sharks began a seven-game trip that will cover more than 7,500 miles. They were 5-2-2 in their first nine road games. ... Kennedy was in his second game for San Jose after spending most of the season on a conditioning stint with Worcester of the AHL. ... Seguin, Dallas' leader with 10 goals, hadn't scored in his previous four games. ... Spezza's assist on the third goal was his 700th career point in his 700th game. ... Gonchar's assist was his first point this season. He has played only three games in his 20th NHL season after breaking an ankle during the preseason.
