Modano, Stars Sink Sharks 3-2

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

May 1, 1998 / 2:02 AM EDT / CBS Sportsline

Mike Modano showed why he was worth every penny of his new $43.5 million contract.

Modano broke out of his scoring slump with two goals, including the controversial game-winner with 8:44 to play Thursday night, as the Dallas Stars outlasted the San Jose Sharks 3-2.

Dallas took take a 3-2 edge in the Western Conference series, with Game 6 scheduled for Saturday night in San Jose. If Game 7 is needed, it will be played in Dallas on Monday night.

Modano, playing for $3.5 million this year, but doubling his salary when his recently signed six-year deal kicks in next season, scored his second goal on a perfect centering pass from Darryl Sydor, wristing the puck behind a sprawling Mike Vernon. Modano hadn't scored since an empty netter in the first game.

After the game, San Jose claimed Jamie Langenbrunner of the Stars was in the crease. The television replay seemed to back the Sharks argument.

"It was time to put up or shut up," said Modano. "Things hadn't been going my way. I had to start playing in-your-face hockey and just let the scoring chances happen."

"I had opportunities to take it to the net. It was a tough last couple of games. I was waiting for things to happen on the perimeter and what I needed to do was get into those tough areas."

"I had to change the way I played."

Vernon said Langenbrunner was in the crease. Referee Kerry Fraser was not able to see the play, and according to league procedure. the call must be made by the nearest linesman. However, linesman Pierre Racicot didn't go to the replay and the goal stood.

"It's the linesman's call," Vernon said. "If the linesman doesn't see it, he could check the replay. That's what it's there for. If you don't see it, don't guess. That's what the rule is for. He didn't see it."

San Jose coach Darryl Sutter didn't blame Fraser.

"I know he's an outstanding official," Sutter said. "It's the linesman's mistake, clearly. It shouldn't have counted. I guarantee Vernon stops it if nobody is in his crease to impede him stopping the puck."

Jim Christison, supervisor of officials, said, "It was clear Langenbrunner was in the crease. But we have to let the officials on the ice make the call. Their judgment was the goal was good."

"Fraser and Racicot got caught on the same side of the ice. But both on-ice officials thought the goal was good. They didn't see Langenbrunner in the crease. They felt there was no reason to go upstairs for a replay."

Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock and Modansaid they didn't see the replay.

Modano was hit on his sore right shoulder in the first period and played in pain the rest of the way. He missed 16 games this year with a separated shoulder suffered late in the season.

"The thing is this is as bad as the shoulder is going to get," Modano said. "It's going to be tender and I'm going to tweak it from time to time."

San Jose scored twice in eight seconds in the second period on goals by John MacLean and Ron Sutter for a 2-1 lead. But the Stars' Juha Lind evened the game with 3:31 left in the period.

"Both teams worked hard on the forecheck and it caused a lot of turnovers," Hitchcock said.

MacLean beat goalie Ed Belfour on a power play, and just seconds later Derian Hatcher turned the puck over to Sutter, who whipped a slap shot past Belfour's glove. The NHL record for two fastest goals in a playoff game is five seconds by Detroit against Chicago in 1965.

Lind got his goal in a scramble in front of the Sharks' goal after Sergei Zubov skated in alone for a point blank shot on Vernon.

Modano broke a long scoreless streak for the Stars with only 2.4 seconds left in the first period on a power play. Modano beat Vernon with a quick wrist shot on a pass from Pat Verbeek.

Dallas hadn't scored since Zubov converted at 4:16 of Game 3, a span of almost 142 minutes. Dallas swarmed Vernon with 14 shots in the Stars' energetic first period.

The Stars lost forward Jere Lehtinen with a knee injury in the second period and his status was uncertain for Saturday.

Dallas, the top-seeded team in the Western Conference, won the first two games at Reunion Arena, then lost two in a row -- including a 1-0 overtime defeat Tuesday night -- on the road to eighth-seeded San Jose.