Marleau Scores Twice, Sharks Defeat Wild
SAN JOSE (CBS / AP) -- Patrick Marleau scored two power-play goals in the second period, and the San Jose Sharks snapped Minnesota's five-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory over the Wild on Thursday night.
Torrey Mitchell also scored in the second period for the Sharks, who have won eight of nine. Antii Niemi stopped 21 shots and remained undefeated in four games against the Wild.
Kyle Brodziak scored Minnesota's lone goal.
Niklas Backstrom, who recorded his first shutout of the season in a 3-0 win at Calgary on Tuesday, made 33 saves but fell to 1-6-1 in San Jose.
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Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi combined for one shot in their first visit to San Jose since being traded to the Wild in separate deals for Brent Burns and Martin Havlat.
Marleau scored his first goal after taking the puck off the stick of Wild defender Justin Falk and firing it past a surprised Backstrom.
Dan Boyle took a shot from the center line, with Backstrom making an easy stick save. There then appeared to be miscommunication as Backstrom tried to pass it easily to Falk, but Marleau came in full speed for the goal.
Marleau scored again 13 minutes later when he took advantage of Ryane Clowe's no-look pass to his stick and fired a shot past Backstrom for his 52nd career multigoal game.
Mitchell scored straight off a faceoff won to the right by Michal Handzus with 1:21 remaining in the second.
The Wild scored with less than seven minutes remaining when Brodziak took a nice pass from Marek Zidlicky and easily beat Niemi.
NOTES: The Wild killed off 23 consecutive short-handed situations before allowing two goals in two power plays in the second period. ... Marleau has 12 points in nine games. ... The Sharks scored two power-play goals in a game for the third time. ... Clowe has a four-game point streak. ... Heatley and Setoguchi were given a nice hand from the sellout crowd. ... Wild F Cal Clutterbuck (upper body) returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday's game. ... The Sharks are 9-0-1 in their last 10 home games against the Wild.
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