San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Patrick Marleau netted the game-winning goal on a short-handed breakaway and San Jose rallied from a three-goal deficit to edge the Phoenix Coyotes, 5-3, at the Shark Tank.
Joe Pavelski scored twice for the Sharks, who have won five of their last six games -- and earned a point in the other -- on the heels of a six-game skid that spanned early January. Kyle Wellwood and Joe Thornton also scored in the victory.
Antti Niemi started between the pipes for San Jose but was pulled after he yielded three goals on 27 shots.Alex Stalock stopped all nine shots he faced in relief.
Radim Vrbata, Paul Bissonnette and Keith Yandle scored for the Coyotes, who saw their five-game road win streak halted. Ilya Bryzgalov allowed four goals on 37 shots in the loss.
After Pavelski's second goal of the game and 11th of the season brought the Sharks within 3-2 at the 1:24 mark of the third period, Wellwood knotted the contest 5:32 into the stanza.
Then, at 13:55, the turning point of the game happened while the Coyotes were on a power play. Ben Eager was in the penalty box for hooking, but Yandle committed a turnover and his partner Kyle Turris lost his stick, which led to Marleau gaining control. The veteran buried a wrister into the back of the cage on a clear breakaway for a 4-3 Sharks lead.
Bryzgalov was pulled for the extra attacker inside the final minute, but Thornton's empty-netter sealed the victory.
The visitors scored twice within a 2:44 span in the latter stages of the first period.
First, at the 16:11 mark, Vrbata's 11th goal opened the scoring. Shane Doan sent a slap shot toward the net from the left point and Vrbata, from the low slot, deflected it into the back of the cage.
With 1:05 to go before the intermission, Phoenix moved ahead by two. Derek Morris passed across the neutral zone for Yandle as the Sharks were making a line change, and Yandle gained control along the left side. The blueliner then skated into the area above the circle and beat Niemi with a blazing slap shot.
Midway through the second stanza, the Coyotes made it 3-0. Adrian Aucoin pinched in during an extended period of offensive pressure and gained control of the puck along the goal line to the left of the net. Aucoin then sent a pass into the low slot for a successful one-timer by Bissonnette with 9:47 remaining.
That goal chased Niemi from the game in favor of the rookie Stalock.
With 7.2 seconds remaining in the middle session, San Jose finally reached the scoreboard. A shot attempt from the left circle by Dany Heatley missed the mark, but Pavelski put home the rebound from the top of the crease.
Phoenix has lost four straight in San Jose...It was Marleau's 19th goal of the season -- he now has seven goals in his last five games against Phoenix...Both teams ended 1-for-3 on the power play...Yandle extended his consecutive point streak to 10 games (3 goals, 12 assists)...Coyotes blueliner Michal Rozsival missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury.