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Media Credit: Steven Cabana Defenseman Douglas Murray of San Jose punches Stars forward Krys Barch during the first period.

Hoping to exact revenge for a shootout loss suffered last Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks failed to generate a win after the Dallas Stars skated off with a 4-2 victory Thursday night.

The damage started early when Joel Lundqvist fired a routine slap shot past Evgeni Nabokov less than a minute into the game.

The Sharks answered right back on a Mark Bell goal less than a minute later. Bell one-timed a shot, beating a sprawling Stars' goaltender Marty Turco.

The Sharks struggled to connect on outlet passes and it cost them when Stu Barnes went five-hole on Nabokov with 4:34 remaining in the first period.

"We've got defensemen who aren't seeing passes when our guys are open," coach Ron Wilson said. "When you're playing with blinders on, it makes it difficult."

The Sharks began the second period with Vesa Toskala relieving Nabokov due to an injury suffered in the first period.

"Nabokov tweaked his groin and couldn't go," said Wilson, "I had no intention of pulling him, but he wasn't able to play."

Later in the second period, Dallas forward Eric Lindros took a run at Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray, but ended up getting the worst of the hit. Taking exception to the play, Lindros crosschecked Murray and both players dropped to gloves to fight. Stars' Krys Barch jumped in, got pummeled by Murray and received a 10-minute misconduct and a 2-minute instigating penalty.

Shortly afterwards, the Sharks would give up what would be the game winning goal when both Bell and Curtis Brown were in the penalty box giving the Stars a two-man advantage in the second period. It didn't take long for the Stars to make the score 3-1 when Jere Lehtinen put the puck past Toskala 7:32 into the second period.

The Sharks had a power play late in the third, but failed to convert and allowed Dallas to hang on for the win. The Sharks' power play failed to score in both games versus the Stars and is 1 in its last 32 attempts.

"We've got some guys who are doing things, and other guys who aren't," captain Patrick Marleau said. "We need everyone working together. If we can't do that, it makes it hard to win."

The Stars now trail the Sharks by three points in the division, while the Anaheim Ducks remain five points ahead of the Sharks.

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