• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Marleau, Sharks snap long scoring drought in win over Lightning

Nov 7, 2010 - 7:11 AM San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Patrick Marleau scored twice to help the San Jose Sharks take a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at HP Pavilion.

Dany Heatley and Logan Couture each had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who were coming off back-to-back shutout losses at the hands of St. Louis and Minnesota. Antero Niittymaki made 33 saves in the win.

"I don't think we were thinking about the two previous games," Marleau said. "Obviously, this game's different. It had been awhile, and it might have been a little sense of a relief. For the most part, we had a gameplan and stuck with it, and we ended up with a win."

San Jose captain Joe Thornton served the first of a two-game suspension levied to him for an illegal hit to the head on St. Louis forward David Perron on Thursday. Thornton was assessed a major and game misconduct for the hit.

Steven Stamkos had a goal and an assist while Martin St. Louis scored the other goal for the Lightning, who went 1-2-1 on a four-game road trip. Mike Smith was tagged for all five goals on 39 shots in the loss.

"What hurt us today was the second period," said Lightning head coach Guy Boucher. "It killed us with a million penalties. We couldn't get momentum. They got it, they were smart and got a lot of shots on net."

Marleau got the scoring started in the contest with a shorthanded marker when he stole the puck in the neutral zone and blew a slapper past Smith from the to of the left circle at the 12:16 mark of the first.

Tampa got the goal back 1:38 later as Stamkos sent a wrist shot on net from the left point that was tipped by Niittymaki by St. Louis in front.

San Jose, though, got the goal back at the 15:26 mark when Marleau beat Smith with a wrister on the power play.

San Jose made it a 3-1 game 11:27 into the second as Couture fired a shot on net from the right boards that saw Heatley chip home the rebound for his sixth goal of the season.

John McCarthy made it a 4-1 game six minutes later when his slap shot got past Smith.

Couture's tip-in of a Heatley shot 27 seconds into the third extended San Jose's lead to 5-1, while Stamkos scored on a big blast with 1:47 to play to account for the final score.

Game Notes

The Lightning return home to face Toronto on Tuesday...The Sharks have won five of the last six against the Lightning...The Sharks host Anaheim on Tuesday...San Jose was 1-for-7 on the power play while Tampa Bay was 1-for-4.