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Sharks aim to contain Bruins' offense

Mar 22, 2012 - 3:04 PM (Sports Network) - The Sharks aren't playing the way they need to in order to make the postseason. San Jose will certainly need a better effort tonight seeing as they host a Boston Bruins team that is coming off a dominating effort.

The Sharks have dropped two straight following a 3-0-1 point streak and lost for the eighth time in 11 games with Tuesday's 5-2 setback to the Kings. San Jose went into the game with the same amount of points as Los Angeles, leaving the clubs tied for ninth, but the Sharks now find themselves even for the 10th spot in the West. They are two back of both the Kings and Coyotes, though the Sharks are also within three points of the Stars for first place in the Pacific Division.

San Jose, which has won the past four division titles, got a goal and an assist from Martin Havlat, giving the forward four goals and six points in four games since missing 39 straight due to a hamstring injury. Dan Boyle also scored in defeat, while Antti Niemi stopped 37-of-41 shots faced.

"Poor effort, especially in the second. They were all over us and were in our zone the whole time and they just had a better jump then we did. Or better desperation," said Boyle.

San Jose now returns home for three straight and hosts a Boston team that put together an 8-0 rout of Toronto on Monday. It was the Bruins' second straight victory since a four-game slide and has them three points up on the idle Senators for first place in the Northeast Division with two games in hand.

Benoit Pouliot paced Monday's offense with two goals and an assist, while Brian Rolston added a goal and three helpers as Boston swept its six-game season series with Toronto. Tim Thomas needed to make only 13 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and 31st of his career.

"I don't think we expected the game to go that way ... what we tried to do was just stay focused for 60 minutes," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said.

The Bruins have lost four of their past five on the road and open up a three- game swing out west with this game. They also have stops in Los Angeles and Anaheim on the horizon.

The Bruins have lost three of their last four meetings with the Sharks, including a 4-2 setback at Boston on Oct. 22. San Jose blew a 2-0 lead in the third of that game before recovering for the regulation win.

Boston has won its past two trips to San Jose.