Dallas Morning News
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September 18, 2005 - Last night's preseason game saw the Dallas Stars get back on track, defeating the San Jose Sharks in Dallas 2-0. For Andrew Raycroft it was his fourth win of the preseason and first shutout.
"I felt good yesterday," said the second year goalie. "I'm already ready for the season, and looking forward to it. It helps, of course, when your defense limits the opposition's chances. There were some tricky saves, but most were long shots at easy angles."
The offense got the job done, but still sputtered, slowing from the initial pace seen at the beginning of the preseason. Both goals came in the 2nd period when the Stars absolutely dominated, putting 16 shots on Sharks' goalie Nabokov. Denis Arkhipov scored his first of the preseason early, and then Mattias Norstrom scored at the end of the period, his second of preseason.
Coach Nolan had this to say about his team's performance:
"If we win every game 2-0 I'll be happy. Sure, I'd like to see more offense and the powerplay is still not clicking whatsoever, but they played a fundamentally sound game. They limited offensive chances, played tough, and scored when they had to. We still have some work to do, but it was a solid effort."
The team's powerplay has in fact been dismal, going at a rate of 8.3%. With all he offensive firepower on the team, this surely has to be disappointing for Dallas management.
Tonight, the Stars play their rivals, the Los Angeles Kings in Los Angeles. It's expected to be a tough affair. Raycroft and Jaromir Jagr will be sitting, but Trent Hunter returns to the lineup. Trevor Kidd, a free agent signing in the offseason, gets his first start of the preseason.