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Burrows' goal lifts red-hot Canucks over Sharks

Jan 4, 2011 - 9:09 AM San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Alexandre Burrows scored the winner in the third period to give Vancouver a 4-3 victory over San Jose as the hottest team in the NHL continued to roll.

Burrows and Daniel Sedin both had a goal and an assist while Alexander Edler and Jannik Hansen also had a goal for the Canucks, who have won six straight and are 15-1-2 over their past 18 games.

The surge has put Vancouver two points ahead of Detroit, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for the top spot in the NHL.

Cory Schneider improved to 7-0-2 as he stopped 32 shots in the win.

Jamal Mayers, Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe all lit the lamp for the Sharks, who had won their two previous games coming in.

Antti Niemi stopped 43-of-47 shots as San Jose fell to 0-2 this season against the Canucks, having dropped a 6-1 decision on November 26 in Vancouver. Clowe was frustrated after the loss.

"We just want to cheat at times," Clowe said. "They're not afraid to play a sound offensive game, and they'll stick to it. We've got guys that want to do it occasionally, but not all the time, though, because that's hard work. And when you work hard and you win, you feel it after the game. And I guarantee you right now there's guys who don't feel that tired after that game."

With the score tied in the third, Vancouver took a 4-3 lead. Christian Erhoff had the puck at the right point and sent a long shot on net that was going wide, but got knocked down. It then came to the front where Burrows slammed it home.

Schneider turned aside 13 shots in the final period to preserve the lead and win for Vancouver.

Sedin's 21st goal of the year gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead, with the only tally of the first period coming 6:09 in.

Clowe scored at the 5:08 mark of the second, but Edler made it a 2-1 game three minutes later on the power play as his one-timer from the right circle on the rush went off Niemi and in.

San Jose again tied the game at the 12:18 mark as a one-timer from Dan Boyle at the right circle was knocked down by Dany Heatley, who sent it over to the left where Marleau swept it home for a power-play marker.

The Sharks got their first lead of the game with 4:39 to play in the second when Mayers' wrister from the right circle went past Schneider as the goaltender fell to the ice.

Vancouver, though, knotted the game at 3-all with 1:25 to play in the middle session as Ryan Kesler's sweeping wrister from the outside left circle was stopped, but Hansen was on the doorstep to pop in the rebound.

Game Notes

San Jose hosts Buffalo on Thursday...The Canucks return home to face Calgary on Wednesday...Vancouver's last regulation loss came on December 5 against St. Louis...The Sharks had won 10 of 12 against Vancouver coming into the season...San Jose was 1-for-2 on the power play while Vancouver finished the game 1-for-3.