@ 7:00PST
5-6-2, 12 points		12-2-0, 24 points
3rd in Pacific Division		1st in Pacific Division

Fresh off a 5-2 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks, Dallas rolls into the Tank tonight for the first time since last postseason’s second round. I doubt any of you need a refresher course on the outcome of that series. I’ll postpone the inevitable arthritis in my fingers, and spare us all the heartbreak.

Oh, and for those of you at the game, make sure to keep the anthem tradition alive.

Marty Turco has been God-awful this year; a trend that doesn’t seem like it will have the legs to last, considering his performance throughout the duration of his career. But in giving up more than three goals in all but two games up until tonight, Turco has felt the metaphorical noose getting progressively tighter. In fact, Marty questioned his teammates confidence in him a week ago.

The Stars goalie clearly allowed some soft goals last night, but he let his frustration out on his teammates.

So sit back and lend an ear:

“From my perspective, it just seems like all of the time I’ve got guys trying to be goalies, going after pucks,” Turco said after allowing five goals on 24 shots to the Boston Bruins. “We need guys to take men and give us the lanes to see. It’s getting old, and it’s disheartening. I don’t know if it’s pressing and the need to feel they need to do everything out there. It just doesn’t work, it’s a team game and we need to play like a team.”

– The Dallas News

Yikes. Turco isn’t the only one raising a stink either- Mike Modano had some choice words for unnamed players (read: Steve Ott and Sean Avery) after their 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins:

“Tonight, it was idiotic and stupid,” Stars center Mike Modano said when asked what the team identity was. “It was one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen. If that’s what we’re going for, then they need to find me an office job.”

“It was dumb penalties, dumb situations, that’s kind of been the trend all season,” Modano said. “There’s no mental toughness. We’re allowing the refs to get involved in the game with and spending more energy on them than the details of winning the game.”

But with all the turmoil in the Stars locker room, it’s hard to imagine their lackluster ways will continue. Sergei Zubov (aka the Marlboro Man) came back from injury last night, and will provide a solid veteran presence to a team desperate for a good West Coast road trip. They made a case for their turnaround last night.

As for the Sharks? Nothing we really haven’t seen or talked about during the first month of the season. The boys are playing well- really, really well. Earlier today James Mirtle took a look at the shot and goal differential of all 30 NHL teams. San Jose was tops in both categories. Standard fare thus far.

Jonathan Cheechoo is out tonight and will be replaced by Marcel Goc on the Pavelski/Michalek line. With Nabokov nursing his lower body injury Brian Boucher will be manning the pipes, and Brad Staubitz will be skating on our checking line with Jody Shelley.

Prediction: Sharks win 3-2. Goals by Roenick (!!!), Pavelski, and Goc. Homeland Security shuts down the game after the “Star-Spangled Banner” citing National Security issues, and Sean Avery somehow gets arrested in this process. He is shipped off to Guantanamo Bay, causing a severe shortage in the income received by doll manufacturers.

Go Sharks.

H/T to Puck Daddy for the quotes from the Dallas News.