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Sharks seek end to road slide against Stars

Feb 18, 2007 - 1:51 PM San Jose (36-21-1) at Dallas (34-21-2) 3:30 pm EST

DALLAS (Ticker) - Normally comfortable away from home, the San Jose Sharks have struggled recently.

The Sharks hope to avoid their third straight road loss when they face the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

With 73 points the Sharks trail the first-place Anaheim Ducks by three points. They lead Dallas by three points.

San Jose won the first two games of its trip before being shutout, 5-0, by the Nashville Predators on Wednesday and, 3-0, by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

The recent slide marks the the first time the Sharks have suffered consecutive road shutouts since January 1999. Holding an 18-10-0 record away from home this campaign, San Jose has not lost three straight on the road since March 2006.

In their most recent loss, Evgeni Nabokov stopped 16 shots for the Sharks, who were 0-for-4 on the power play.

Vesa Toskala was pulled from the Nashville game after surrendering two goals on the first five shots he faced. Nabokov replaced him, stopping 25-of-28 shots.

Patrick Marleau was held out of the game with an upper body injury, and is listed as day-to-day.

The Stars, who swept the Sharks in a home-and-home series on January 30 and February 1, are 3-1-0 in their last four. Dallas mustered just 18 shots in a 3-1 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.

Mike Ribeiro scored the Dallas goal, his first in his last six games.

Mike Smith has taken over as the starting goaltender for now. Smith stopped 29-of-31 shots, and is 3-1-0 in his last four starts with just four goals allowed.

Smith posted a shutout against the Anaheim Ducks on February 10, making 32 saves in a 1-0 victory.