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Marleau, Sharks overpower Oilers

Jan 27, 2007 - 6:54 AM EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) -- The San Jose Sharks stayed on a roll and in the process exacted a bit of revenge.

Patrick Marleau had two goals and an assist to lead the Sharks to a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

The All-Star break did little to slow the momentum of San Jose, which has won eight of its last 10 games and closed within two points of Anaheim for the Pacific Division lead.

"I think we were playing good right before the break and I thought we came out with a pretty good effort tonight," Marleau said. "It's pretty much a sprint to the end now and we just have to be ready for it and it started with the win tonight."

The Sharks spotted the Oilers a 1-0 lead before roaring back with five straight goals, breaking a streak of six consecutive losses to Edmonton.

The Oilers had won two earlier matchups this season and upset the Sharks in six games last season in a second-round playoff series.

Joe Thornton, the reigning Hart Trophy winner and a starter in Wednesday's All-Star game, had a goal and an assist, tying the score at 1-1 on the power play with 1:54 left in the opening period.

Ryane Clowe controlled the puck behind the net and passed to Thornton gliding in from the left of the net and he tucked it past past Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson.

The Sharks broke the game open in the middle session as Marleau scored his 23rd goal of the season at the 3:21 mark and used a beautiful pass to set up a streaking Mike Grier's goal at 14:13 for a 3-1 lead. Roloson was helpless on both goals.

"I think we controlled the whole game," San Jose coach Ron Wilson said. "We did let our guard down a bit in the first with them scoring their goal but we capitalized on our size and strength tonight."

Patrick Rissmiller scored the third goal of the period just over two minutes later, deflecting a shot out of mid-air.

Marleau finished off the scoring with 27 seconds to play, taking a pass from Thornton in the slot and whipping a shot past Roloson.

"We just aren't very organized out there right now," Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish said. "We're spread out all over the ice. We have no support for our forecheck and no support for our breakout and we have gaps all over the ice and we aren't going to win that way."

Fernando Pisani scored for Edmonton on a shot that caromed off the right shoulder of Sharks netminder Vesa Toskala, who made 20 saves.

The result could have been worse for the Oilers, but the Sharks managed to convert on just 1-of-8 power-play chances.

"We've generated offense against this team before but it's been our defense that has let us down, and I thought we played a solid three periods competed hard in our own end and that's where it counts," Sharks right wing Johnathan Cheechoo said.