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BOX SCORE
DALLAS (AP) -- Mike Ricci scored twice for San Jose and his coach thought he could have had more.
Ricci's two goals spoiled Brett Hull's 599th career tally as the Sharks beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 Monday night.
|  | | Ron Sutter of the Sharks tries to get a hand on the puck before Mike Modano can reach it with his stick. |
"I told him after the game he should have had four or five
goals," coach Darryl Sutter said.
Ricci, who notched both goals in the second period to dampen
Hull's milestone, was San Jose's best player. He helped on special
teams and during full-strength situations to give the Sharks their
third victory in four games against their Pacific Division rivals.
"I wish I had a team of those guys," said Sutter of Ricci.
Ricci said any victory over the defending Stanley Cup champs is
special.
"They're a great hockey team," Ricci said. "They play a hard,
grinding style, and to beat them you've got to match that style.
You've got to beat those teams to have a chance at the playoffs."
Owen Nolan's empty-netter with 5.9 seconds left -- his 27th goal -- clinched the win for the Sharks.
Hull is on the brink of becoming the 12th player in NHL history
to record at least 600 goals. He is trying to join his father,
Bobby, who scored 610. They would become the first father-son
combination in the club.
"I know who the people are up there ahead of me," said Hull of
the 11 others. "I idolized some of them, like my father, Phil
Esposito, those guys. And I've played with and against a lot of
them -- Wayne Gretzky, Steve Yzerman. I'm going to get there. It's
just a matter of when."
Hull wants to reach the milestone in his next game, No. 899,
Wednesday night against the New York Rangers.
"I want to do it before my 900th, that's important to me,"
Hull said.
Hull notched his 13th of the season at 10:22 of the opening
period, taking a drop pass from Mike Modano and blasting a slap
shot from beyond the top of the right circle that beat Mike Vernon
into the upper left corner.
He just missed No. 600 when his one-timer from the slot with 25
seconds left in the second hit Vernon in the arm.
"I thought that was it," Hull said. "Call it a great shot or
a great save, it didn't go in. We're just not scoring enough goals.
One goal isn't going to win many games for you."
Ricci tied it at 1 on a power play at 2:11 of the second. Ricci
set up in front of the net and knocked Jeff Friesen's centering
pass past Ed Belfour.
Persistent work in front of the Stars' net paid off for Ricci
again at 12:48 of the second period, scoring his 11th of the season
off Stephane Matteau's pass from behind the goal.
Ricci almost scored again with 1:15 left in the second, but his
shot banged off the goalpost.
San Jose, 1-4-0 in its previous five games, opened a five-game
road trip.
The Stars were coming off a four-day Christmas break.
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NHL Scoreboard
San Jose Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
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Philadelphia 5
Calgary 1
Montreal 4
Ottawa 4
Chicago 2
Washington 2
Detroit 3
Atlanta 2
New Jersey 4
Buffalo 1
NY Islanders 3
Boston 0
Florida 6
Tampa Bay 1
Edmonton 4
Anaheim 1
San Jose 3
Dallas 1
Colorado 5
St. Louis 1
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