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Red-hot Sharks eye seventh straight win

Nov 8, 2008 - 3:12 PM Dallas (5-6-2) at San Jose (12-2-0) 10:00 p.m. EST

SAN JOSE, California (Ticker) -- The San Jose Sharks are playing so well that the temporary loss of their starting goaltender might not be a big deal.

The Sharks go for their seventh straight win and try to remain undefeated at home when they host the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

San Jose remained perfect in eight games at the HP Pavilion on Thursday as Ryane Clowe scored two goals in regulation before finding the back of the net in the shootout to help forge a 5-4 victory against the St. Louis Blues.

Goalie Evgeni Nabokov, a Venzina Trophy finalist last season who is 10-2-0 with a 2.72 goals-against average in 2008-09, suffered an unspecified lower-body injury on the final shot of the shootout. Nabokov has not been ruled out for the contest with the Stars but, with the way the Sharks are playing, backup Brian Boucher has to feel confident.

San Jose outshot the Blues, 43-29, registering at least 40 shots for the seventh time this season and lead the NHL, averaging 37.6 shots per game.

Boucher has been stout, too, stopping all 43 shots he's faced en route to shutouts against the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning. Since signing with the Sharks in February, the journeyman Boucher has posted a 5-0-0 record with three shutouts and a 0.40 GAA as a starter.

Stars No. 1 netminder Marty Turco has not found even a fraction of that success this season, but turned in a strong performance on Friday, making 28 saves during a 5-2 victory against the Anaheim Ducks. Turco, who is 4-5-2, had allowed 11 goals during his previous two starts.