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Sharks and Jets battle in Winnipeg

Jan 12, 2012 - 4:07 PM (Sports Network) - It took a persistent effort from the Sharks in the third period of their last game to secure a point.

For the Jets, they simply failed to hold a late lead for only the second time this season in their most recent trip to the ice.

San Jose looks to extend a six-game point streak this evening in a matchup against a Winnipeg club returning home following a disappointing road trip.

The Sharks took a four-game win streak into Tuesday's meeting at Minnesota, but needed three goals in the third period to force overtime. The final two tallies came from Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau just 22 seconds apart late in the third frame. San Jose was then denied the extra point when Minnesota scored twice in the shootout and the Sharks failed on both their attempts in a 5-4 decision.

Antti Niemi made 27 saves, Dan Boyle had a goal and two assists and Ben Ferriero also scored in the third period for the Sharks, who came away disappointed with the result despite still being 4-0-2 in their past six games.

"If we play the right way, we don't have to be in that position in overtime," said Marleau.

San Jose, which leads the Pacific Division by two points over Los Angeles, lost the opener of a four-game swing and played a ninth straight game without Martin Havlat due to a lower-body injury.

For the Jets, they return home following a 1-3 trek that saw them drop Tuesday's contest in Boston by a 5-3 margin despite taking a one-goal lead into the third frame. The Bruins, though, scored three times in the stanza and dropped Winnipeg to 16-1-1 this year when leading after two periods.

Andrew Ladd, Eric Fehr and Blake Wheeler all scored for the Jets, Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom notched two assists each and Ondrej Pavelec allowed all five goals on 42 shots.

Evander Kane leads Winnipeg with 18 goals, but saw his ice time limited in the loss until the third period by coach Claude Noel. Winnipeg's bench boss may be forced to take his talented winger out of the doghouse for this game due to the fact that Tanner Glass is questionable because of facial lacerations.

Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, meanwhile, sat out for the seventh game in a row due to a knee ailment. Winnipeg is ninth overall in the East but only five points behind first-place Florida in the Southeast standings.

Winnipeg ended a six-game slide to the Sharks with a 4-2 win at San Jose on Oct. 16, 2010 behind goals from Kane, Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien.

The Sharks did go 4-0-1 with a tie in the six games against the Jets franchise when it was located in Atlanta prior to this season.