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Stars snap San Jose's eight-game win streak

Mar 6, 2011 - 7:58 AM San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Jason Williams scored the game-winner late in the third period as Dallas halted San Jose's eight-game win streak with a 3-2 decision at HP Pavilion.

Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson also lit the lamp for the Stars, who have won four of five. Kari Lehtonen upped his record to 27-18-7 with a 29-save effort.

"I knew they were winning a lot, so you saw an extra spark," said Lehtonen.

Kyle Wellwood and Patrick Marleau tallied for the Sharks, who hadn't lost since February 13 at Florida. Antti Niemi allowed all three goals on 28 shots in defeat.

"I think we were a little scattered. I think we had a few lapses and gave the momentum back. But it was a playoff-type game. Both teams played really hard," said Sharks defenseman Jason Demers.

Williams picked up the deciding score with 7:12 left in regulation, when he circled the San Jose net from right to left and managed to slide a shot off San Jose's Dany Heatley and past Niemi as he guarded the left post.

Niemi came up big to keep it a one-goal contest when he stopped a short-handed breakaway with roughly 2 1/2 minutes remaining, but the home team was unable to net an equalizer in the final 1:14 with an extra attacker.

Benn slipped a shot between Niemi's pads on a short-handed breakaway just 1:19 after the opening faceoff to put Dallas on the board, but Wellwood's tip of a Torrey Mitchell centering feed evened things at 9:55.

Marleau slipped between two Dallas defenders to beat Lehtonen at 1:22 of the second period.

Eriksson converted a rebound at the right side of the crease at 7:37 of the third and the Stars pulled even.

Game Notes

Dallas has won four of its last five trips to Northern California...Prior to the contest, the Sharks activated goaltender Antero Niittymaki from injured reserve and assigned goaltender Carter Hutton to Worcester of the AHL...Stars center Brad Richards missed his ninth straight game with a concussion.