SJS vs DAL

DALLAS — Stars winger Stu Barnes will miss his third consecutive game because of concussion-like symptoms.

After receiving a hit in the head late in Game 3, Barnes was held out for Game 4 on Wednesday. Barnes rode the stationary bike Thursday and felt foggy. He did not travel to San Jose for Game 5 and has not exercised since. The Stars were hoping he would skate Sunday and then be ready for Game 6, but coach Dave Tippett said Barnes did not feel up to it.

While the loss of a 37-year-old checking line forward seems like something most teams should be able to overcome, the loss of Barnes really is messing with the Stars' chemistry. Tippett likes to make sure his checking line is effective and he has struggled to find the right fit with Mike Modano and Steve Ott. Antti Miettinen could play that role, but he has been up and down in the playoffs. Joel Lundqvist and Loui Eriksson stepped into the role in Game 5, but that took away from Brad Richards' line.

There's a chance Lundqvist and Eriksson are moved back to a line with Richards for Game 6, and Ott and Modano look for a winger in a mix of Miettinen, Niklas Hagman and Toby Petersen.

In addition, the Stars are probably going to scratch defenceman Matt Niskanen and play Mark Fistric in his place. Fistric was a healthy scratch for Game 5, and the Stars missed his physicality.

Sharks say they are going to attack

Coming off two straight victories, the Sharks said they are not going to relax in Game 6. With a chance to even the series at 3-3, despite starting out down 3-0, San Jose players said they were going to push the pace.

"I think we attack,'' centre Joe Thornton said. "That's what we've done to get here."

Veteran Jeremy Roenick said this is no time to hesitate.

"They're going to look at it like they're still one game from closing us out,'' Roenick. "They're going to sit back and continue to play their game. They're very patient and very disciplined. We've got to go after them."

Mike Murphy explains decision

NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Mike Murphy said the NHL used all of its checks and balances in deciding that Brenden Morrow used a distinct kicking motion to score a goal in Game 5 that was disallowed by video replay.

Murphy said he and three others were watching the play in Toronto and had three different telecasts to choose from. He said he also interacted with on-site officials, including series supervisor E.J. McGuire.

"It was a unanimous decision among our people and one that I feel today was the right decision," Murphy said. "We have made 200 to 250 calls on kicking plays," Murphy said. "What we have come to determine is that the difference between a kick and a deflection is the force of the puck. If the force of the puck was going to put it into the net at the same speed or a decreased speed, then there wasn't a kick. But if the motion of the leg increases the force or speed of the puck, then we believe that is a kick.

"We believe (Morrow's) kick propelled the puck forward and made it go into the net."