Marleau Nets Winner As Sharks Top Oilers 3-2
SAN JOSE (CBS/AP) -- Patrick Marleau scored the tiebreaking goal 6:11 into the third period and the San Jose Sharks beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Saturday night.
Martin Havlat and Joe Thornton also scored for the Sharks, who won their second straight. San Jose has three consecutive home victories for the first time this season.
Jordan Eberle and Ryan Jones scored for the Oilers, who have lost three straight and five of six.
Havlat and Thornton each ended long goal-scoring droughts, and Marleau netted his second in three games.
Eberle recorded a point for the eighth time in nine games. Jones scored for the first time since a hat trick on Dec. 2.
Antti Niemi stopped 23 shots for the win, while Nikolai Khabibulin allowed three goals on 37 shots.
Havlat scored midway through the first period to give the Sharks a 1-0 advantage. He played give-and-go with Michal Handzus and had an easy chance, scoring his first even-strength goal of the season and his second overall. He had not scored a goal in his previous 17 games. Dan Boyle picked up a loose puck to create the scoring opportunity.
Eberle scored late in the first period to tie it for the Oilers. Taylor Hall stole the puck from Justin Braun to set up the score.
Jones took advantage of a miscue in the neutral zone to score a short-handed goal and give the Oilers a 2-1 edge early in the second period. Havlat missed a pass and was beaten to the puck by Jones.
Thornton scored his first goal in 14 games and the Sharks scored their first 4-on-4 goal of the season to tie it.
Joe Pavelski picked up a puck behind the net and started a wraparound, getting the puck to Marleau for the winner.
NOTES: The Oilers fell to 2-7 over their past nine games. ... Thornton has 36 points in 34 games against the Oilers. ... Havlat left the game in the third period after hurting his ankle trying to get on the ice. ... Sharks D Colin White was taken off the ice with an apparent hand injury. ... The Sharks were 2 of 35 on power plays before Marleau scored. ... Jones scored his first goal in nine games against the Sharks.
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