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Pavelski picks up 4 points as Sharks top Caps

Feb 14, 2012 - 5:24 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Joe Pavelski totaled four points on two goals and two assists as San Jose dealt Washington a 5-3 defeat at Verizon Center.

Patrick Marleau contributed a pair of goals and Brent Burns also scored for the Sharks, who rebounded from a 3-0 loss in St. Louis on Sunday.

"The message changed, and it was up to them to bounce back and respond the way they did," said Sharks head coach Todd McLellan as his club finished 3-for-6 on the power play.

Joe Thornton added three helpers and Thomas Greiss stopped 39-of-42 shots for his third win in four starts.

Roman Hamrlik, Jeff Schultz and Dmitry Orlov tallied for the Capitals, losers of three straight and eight of 11.

Braden Holtby was shelled for all five scores on 35 shots in defeat. The 22- year-old was called up from Hershey of the AHL prior to the game because Tomas Vokoun was sidelined with the flu.

"I didn't hear what was going to happen until I got to the rink before the game," said Holtby of his first NHL appearance since March 26.

The visitors turned a two-goal edge into a four-goal margin on scores almost 2 1/2 minutes apart early in the third.

Burns made it 4-1 at 4:36 on his floater from the right point, and Marleau struck once more on the advantage at 7:03 by finishing off a passing play in tight between Ryane Clowe and Thornton.

Washington kept up the pressure, as Hamrlik cut the deficit to 5-2 just after the midway point on a backhander from the right circle and Schultz snuck a shot from the left point home with 5:51 to play.

Holtby was kept on the bench in the final minute but the Caps couldn't produce more offense.

San Jose jumped out to the lead thanks to Pavelski, whose accidental deflection of a Dan Boyle drive from center ice eluded Holtby with 7:48 left in the first period.

"You watch it bounce, and even though you have no control over what comes next, you hope when you're that far away that something stupid happens," Pavalski said of the fluke shot. "And it did."

Pavelski doubled the Sharks' edge on a power play roughly 3 1/2 minutes into the second, lifting the rebound of a Logan Couture chance under the crossbar from in front.

Marleau pumped in a man advantage score inside of four minutes left for a 3-0 game, but the Caps got on the board just before the buzzer as Orlov's blast trickled between Greiss' arm and body.

Game Notes

San Jose has won four in a row and 16 of the last 17 meetings with Washington...Couture added two assists for the Sharks...Caps star forward and captain Alex Ovechkin was held without a point on six shots in almost 27 minutes of ice time...Prior to the game, the Capitals also recalled forward Joel Rechlicz from Hershey.