Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Mattias Norstrom's late-second-period goal was the game-winner as Dallas rallied with four unanswered goals to double up San Jose, 4-2, in the season-finale for both teams at American Airlines Center.

Antti Miettinen, Stu Barnes and Steve Ott also scored for the Stars, who finished the regular season at 45-30-7, the fifth seed in the Western Conference and heading for a first-round matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks beginning Thursday in Anaheim.

Marty Turco made 32 saves for the win, ending the year at 32-21-6.

"We will go in as big underdogs and we will have to play hard and play together," said Stars head coach Dave Tippett about his club's upcoming series. "We know each other very well and there are no secrets between us."

Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo lit the lamp for the Sharks, who ended the year with consecutive losses but amassed a 49-23-10 record and 108 points, second most in the Western Conference.

San Jose, the Pacific Division champions, begin the playoffs by facing seventh-seeded Calgary beginning Wednesday. The Flames fell into the seventh slot after Colorado's shootout win over Minnesota later Sunday.

Starter Evgeni Nabokov stopped all seven shots he faced in the first period before giving way to Brian Boucher, who took the loss by allowing four goals on just 15 shots through the final 40 minutes.

"Our team responded really well and I was happy with the way we played," said Sharks head coach Ron Wilson about his club's refusal to back down in the loss. "I didn't trust that team, they were running at our guys."

Facing a two-goal deficit, Dallas broke through while a man down with 8:25 left in the second period. Miettinen finished off a slick passing play between Brenden Morrow and Mike Modano by burying a one-timer from the slot.

Barnes atoned for an earlier penalty with a power-play goal at 16:13, then Norstrom had a tap-in from the right side at 19:47 to give the Stars a one- goal edge heading into the third.

The Sharks outshot the Stars 9-6 in the third period, but Turco remained strong. Ott finished off a short-handed, 2-on-1 break to put Dallas up by two with 1:22 left in regulation and put the visitors away.

"It was a wild one for sure," Barnes noted. "We are trying to work hard to elevate our game. We feel better about our game and we are ready to go play our best hockey. They (Anaheim) are a great team and we have to be ready for a tight series."

Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas was given a major for boarding and a game misconduct on a hit from behind with 5:13 left in the first period, and San Jose cashed in on a two-man advantage after Barnes was assessed a double minor for high sticking with 2:42 to go.

Brian Campbell held at the right point and dished to the edge of the right circle for Marleau, who took two strides to the net and slid a wrister past Turco off the far post just 14 seconds into the 5-on-3.

Cheechoo added another power-play goal for a 2-0 Sharks edge at the 5:46 mark of the second period. On a great individual effort, the winger moved the puck through a Dallas defender in the slot and lifted a wrister past Turco through his arm and body.