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GAME DAY PREVIEW Game time: 10:00pm ET Dallas at San Jose | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular-season records
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Maybe the San Jose Sharks can finally score a goal when they host the defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars on Tuesday night (10 ET, ESPN2) in Game 3 of their Western Conference Semifinal series.
It has been 145:36 since San Jose scored a goal. If Belfour shuts out San Jose in Game 3, it would be the first time since 1945 that a goalie had three consecutive playoff shutouts. Toronto's Frank McCool was the last goalie to do it. The Sharks stunned top-seeded St. Louis in the first round but have been unable to solve Belfour and must win four of the next five games to move to the conference finals.
However, San Jose may again be without captain and leading scorer Owen Nolan, who has been hobbled by foot and shoulder injuries. Belfour can expect a rude reception from the San Jose fans since he spurned the Sharks to sign a free agent deal with Dallas back in 1997. "I think every time I've come back there, they've been hard on me," Belfour said. "It's satisfying when you have good games in buildings where the fans are on you." Belfour was hardly tested over the first two periods but made nine of his saves in the third as the Stars held an opponent to fewer than 20 shots for the fifth time in seven playoff contests on Sunday. He made 18 saves in Dallas' 4-0 win in the series opener on Friday. In becoming the first goaltender in two years to record consecutive playoff shutouts, Belfour extended his scoreless streak to 138 minutes, 53 seconds. Washington's Olaf Kolzig was the last netminder to post back-to-back postseason shutouts, blanking Ottawa in the final two games of the 1998 Eastern Conference semifinals. San Jose's Vincent Damphousse has gone 11 games since his last postseason goal. The Sharks are 0-for-9 on the power play in the series and 6-for-44 in the playoffs. Modano has 36 career playoff goals, giving him sole possession of
the all-time franchise lead. He also has four goals and three
assists during a six-game points streak that equals the longest
of his playoff career.
| ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard Dallas Clubhouse San Jose Clubhouse No bite to Sharks offense
Belfour not popular in San Jose PREVIEWS Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh
Dallas @
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