San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - Patrick Marleau had a goal and two assists while Dany Heatley and Joe Pavelski contributed a goal and a helper each in San Jose's 6-3 decision over Los Angeles at HP Pavilion. Ryane Clowe, Torrey Mitchell and Scott Nichol also scored for the Sharks, who have won three in a row and four of five.
Antero Niittymaki made 32 saves to earn the victory for San Jose, which improved to 6-2-2 on home ice. Ryan Smyth, Jarret Stoll and Scott Parse scored for the Kings, who had a six- game win streak snapped. Jonathan Bernier made 28 saves in the defeat for Los Angeles, which had claimed three of its previous four road contests.
LA got the scoring started with Parse's backhander at the 16:33 mark before Clowe's snap shot tied the game with 1:55 remaining in the stanza. Mitchell's backhander put the hosts on top for good with 40 seconds to go in the period. Nichol's turn around shot in the slot made it 3-1 just past the midway point of the second period before things got interesting and confusing.
Smyth knocked in a shot that caromed off the back boards that was stopped on the goal line and not initially ruled a goal. Play continued as the Sharks cleared the puck from the net up ice to Mitchell, who scored on a breakaway to temporarily make it 4-1.
However, after the play was reviewed, Smyth was given credit for a goal that trimmed the lead to 3-2 and wiped out the Mitchell tally. San Jose did notch its fourth goal on the power play 2:39 into the final session when Dan Boyle ripped a slap shot from the mid point that caromed off the end boards to the slot from where Marleau wristed it home past Bernier.
The Kings cut the lead back to one when Stoll tipped in a Rob Scuderi shot from the left point with under 13 minutes remaining. The Sharks restored their two-goal cushion just 43 seconds later when Heatley wristed a shot from between the circles through a Marleau screen past Bernier.
Justin Williams appeared to have drawn the visitors back to within one with 11 1/2 minutes to go but the whistle blew the puck dead before it crossed the goal line. Pavelski's power play tally capped the scoring with 3:52 left in the game.
Niittymaki is 2-0-2 in four career meetings with the Sharks...Marleau has 30 goals and 65 points in 73 career games against LA...Justin Williams of the Kings picked up an assist to record a point in a career-best 10th straight game...Stoll has 99 career goals and has scored a point in seven consecutive matches...Bernier faced San Jose for the first time in his career.
For more Kings news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Jewels From The Crown.