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Thornton, Heatley lead Sharks over Stars

Mar 16, 2011 - 6:08 AM Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley both netted a pair of goals and San Jose scored four times in the third period to down Dallas, 6-3, at American Airlines Center.

Torrey Mitchell and Ryane Clowe also tallied and Joe Pavelski notched a career-best four assists for the Sharks, who snapped a three-game losing skid.

Antti Niemi stopped 34-of-37 shots for the win.

"It was just a good win," Thornton said. "We feel like we're never out of a game."

Jamie Benn posted a goal and two assists for the Stars, losers in three of four.

Toby Petersen and Mike Ribeiro also scored, while Kari Lehtonen took the loss after allowing four goals on 37 chances.

Benn drew the Stars to 4-3 at the 8:11 mark of the third, when he converted a Steve Ott pass with a backhander on the doorstep.

The home team failed to equalize despite two power plays in the final four- plus minutes. Heatley drew the first minor, for interference with 4:06 to go, but the Sharks kept the Stars at bay.

After Logan Couture was sent to the box for delay of game with 2:01 remaining, Thornton hit the empty net to make it 5-3 less than a minute later.

Despite continued pressure in the San Jose zone, Pavelski gained control of a loose puck and dished ahead to Heatley, who flung it the length of the ice for another score with the Dallas net vacant.

"You win or lose by your special teams and tonight we could have got back in the game if we could have got that big one," Ott said.

Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 lead on scores by Ribeiro and Petersen in a 1:40 span early in the second. Peterson's tally was a short-handed score, a redirection of a Benn dish into the slot.

San Jose knotted the score thanks to Thornton at 6:23 and Heatley on a power play at 12:40.

The visitors then forged ahead with goals less than five minutes apart early in the third period. Clowe made it 3-2 at 1:51 on a wrister from in close, then Mitchell struck at 3:31 from the right side due to a Pavelski set-up.

Game Notes

San Jose improved to 13-6-2 in Dallas since 2005...Stars forward Loui Eriksson left the game with an upper-body injury in the second period after absorbing a hit from Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray, and did not return...The Sharks avenged an 8-2 setback to the Stars in Dallas almost one year ago.