Sharks Not Panicking, Win Another Over The Wild

San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Patrick Marleau scored on a power play five minutes into the third period, lifting the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win over Minnesota and extending the Wild's losing streak to four games.

Jamal Mayers and Logan Couture also scored and the Sharks tied a season-high with 50 shots for their second straight win. Antti Niemi had 28 saves, including nine in the third period to backstop the victory.

John Madden and Kyle Brodziak scored for the Wild, who have been out-scored 15-4 during their four-game slide. Niklas Backstrom was the hard-luck loser with 47 saves.

Marleau scored with a wrister from the left circle after a cross-ice pass through traffic from Joe Pavelski.

"Nice to see him get it on the power play," said Sharks head coach Todd McLellan.

Later in the period, San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle went down after colliding with Minnesota's Greg Zanon near the Sharks net. He looked to be seriously injured after folding to the ice and sliding to the boards.

Boyle punched the ice, but skated off and said he felt better just seconds later.

"Bodies are not supposed to bend that way," he said. "I'm happy with the way things feel now, but ask me tomorrow."

San Jose took a 1-0 lead 11:29 into the first period when Mayers got behind two defenders and flipped a backhand past Backstrom. But the Wild tied it on Madden's shorthanded goal at 14:53 after they managed to get San Jose on its heels with a 3-on-2.

Couture tipped the puck in at 11:33 of the second period after Douglas Murray sent it on net from the right side, but Minnesota again tied it less than two minutes later when Martin Havlat flipped a pass ahead to Brodziak in the slot, making it 2-2.

The Sharks were without forward Dany Heatley, who was suspended two games by the NHL for an elbow to the head of Dallas' Steve Ott on Tuesday.

Sharks Right The Ship, Beat The Stars 6-3

Dallas, TX (Sports Network) - Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley both netted a pair of goals and San Jose scored four times in the third period to down Dallas, 6-3, at American Airlines Center.

Torrey Mitchell and Ryane Clowe also tallied and Joe Pavelski notched a career-best four assists for the Sharks, who snapped a three-game losing skid.

Antti Niemi stopped 34-of-37 shots for the win.

Jamie Benn posted a goal and two assists for the Stars, losers in three of four.

Toby Petersen and Mike Ribeiro also scored, while Kari Lehtonen took the loss after allowing four goals on 37 chances.

Benn drew the Stars to 4-3 at the 8:11 mark of the third, when he converted a Steve Ott pass with a backhander on the doorstep.

The home team failed to equalize despite two power plays in the final four- plus minutes. Heatley drew the first minor, for interference with 4:06 to go, but the Sharks kept the Stars at bay.

After Logan Couture was sent to the box for delay of game with 2:01 remaining, Thornton hit the empty net to make it 5-3 less than a minute later.

Despite continued pressure in the San Jose zone, Pavelski gained control of a loose puck and dished ahead to Heatley, who flung it the length of the ice for another score with the Dallas net vacant.

Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 lead on scores by Ribeiro and Petersen in a 1:40 span early in the second. Peterson's tally was a short-handed score, a redirection of a Benn dish into the slot.

San Jose knotted the score thanks to Thornton at 6:23 and Heatley on a power play at 12:40.

The visitors then forged ahead with goals less than five minutes apart early in the third period. Clowe made it 3-2 at 1:51 on a wrister from in close, then Mitchell struck at 3:31 from the right side due to a Pavelski set-up.

San Jose improved to 13-6-2 in Dallas since 2005...Stars forward Loui Eriksson left the game with an upper-body injury in the second period after absorbing a hit from Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray, and did not return...The Sharks avenged an 8-2 setback to the Stars in Dallas almost one year ago.

San Jose Sharks Schedule, Previews, Recaps: Not Time To Panic For Sharks

It couldn't last forever, regardless of how the San Jose Sharks played, they were going to have to lose again at some point. They were going to have to lose two or three games in a row again before the season was over, that's just how it works in the National Hockey League. Unfortunately, they're getting their losing streak right off of their eight-game winning streak. Not directly after, they had a loss in there, but my article is more important than facts.

Last week saw the Sharks add two more wins to their six-game winning streak, and they had a firm grasp of a playoff spot. They still do, but they need to right the course and get a hold of things before they lose control and drift into uncharted waters. Strictly speaking they're not uncharted, the Sharks just ruined the charts when they went into said water earlier in the year on their six-game losing streak from January 3rd to January 13th. Remember that, folks? I know ... you were trying to forget. I'm not sorry.

The Sharks find themselves at the halfway mark of that losing streak, with three. They certainly don't have aspirations to match their season-high, but you wouldn't be able to tell if you watched them take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. San Jose went into the game with the same mindset that they've had recently: the team that scores three points will win the game, that's how coach Todd McLellan put it a few days prior.

They scored three points, with only one caveat: Chicago scored six of 'em. Four of them went to Antti Niemi, who was then pulled in the second period in favor of Antero Niittymaki, who gave up two of his own, stopping 14-of-16 through the end. Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Joe Thornton provided the offensive output for the night, but it wasn't nearly enough to put them ahead of Chicago's relentless onslaught.

Marian Hossa put the puck to net twice, while Jonathan Towes, Patrick Kane, Viktor Stallberg and Niklas Hjalmarsson all had a goal apiece for the Blackhawks. Patrick Sharp had four assists. The Sharks had a 2-1 lead going into the second, but gave up four goals in that second frame, and it was officially a rout.

It was only their fourth loss in around two months, so San Jose doesn't need to hit the panic button at this point. Considering the way two of these three straight losses have went, they're actually in pretty good shape. Last week's game against the Vancouver Canucks may have been the best hockey game this season. Tonight, they'll continue their road trip and take on the Dallas Stars, who are looking to rebound from a 3-2 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings.

If there's one thing the Sharks can hang their hat on, it's the inconsistency of the Stars of late. They're not able to build any solid winning streak, though they are limiting their losses to the overtime and shootout variety. It's unclear as to whether Niittymaki or Niemi will be in net for the Sharks.

This stream will carry us through tonights game, along with Thursday and Saturday matchups against the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, stay tuned for news, recaps and more.