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Niemi, Sharks cool off streaking Ducks

Oct 27, 2014 - 5:16 AM Anaheim, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Antti Niemi made 33 saves to back a well- balanced offensive effort as the San Jose Sharks halted the Anaheim Ducks' winning streak at seven games with a 4-1 victory.

Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Tommy Wingels all scored to help the Sharks end a four-game skid.

"It was a big win for us. We needed a win any way we could get it," San Jose head coach Todd McLellan said.

Matt Belesky accounted for Anaheim's lone goal and Frederik Andersen, who won his first six starts of the season, gave up four goals on 37 shots in the setback.

"In the first and second periods, they played like the Sharks can play. They were extremely good, and we weren't ready," Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau said.

Patrick Marleau won an offensive zone faceoff back to Burns, who snapped a shot through a maze of players to start the scoring 8:25 into the contest.

Pavelski was parked in front of Andersen and tipped Joe Thornton's right- circle shot past the hot netminder on the power play with 21 seconds left in the opening stanza.

The Sharks added another goal in the second period. Skating 4-on-4, Vlasic jumped up on the play, pounced on a loose puck in the slot and slid a backhander through the legs of Andersen.

James Sheppard raced into the offensive zone and swung into the slot from the right circle, but his shot past Andersen was a second too late as the second period horn sounded.

After Tim Jackman was assessed a double-minor roughing penalty, Wingels slapped a shot and tracked down his rebound in the slot before backhanding the puck past a sliding Andersen for a 4-0 lead with 8:20 remaining.

The game took a nasty tone late in the third. Sharks forward John Scott and Jackman threw punches in the middle of the ice, while a scrum involving the remaining players, including Andersen, erupted along the boards.

Belesky ended Niemi's shutout bid by roofing a short-handed backhander with 5:07 to play.

Game Notes

The two teams combined for 165 penalty minutes ... Burns has recorded 10 points in 10 games this season ... Ducks forward Ryan Kesler tallied his 400th NHL point with an assist ... San Jose went 2-for-5 on the power play, while Anaheim was unsuccessful in its six chances.