By David Pollak/San Jose Mercury News

 

What a difference a week makes when it comes to the San Jose Sharks’ power play.

San Jose got goals with the man advantage from Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture, then held on for a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night. The Sharks earned the win one week after an anaemic 0-for-8 performance that didn’t even produce a shot, let alone a goal.

“We changed the units up, back to the unit we’ve had for a while with Burnzie on the top there,” said Couture, referring to defenseman Brent Burns. “I think our chemistry has shown. We kind of know where each other is going to be out there.”

The power-play goals had the Sharks ahead 2-0 after two periods. But it was Patrick Marleau’s tally at even strength early in the third period that proved to be the winner after Devils forwards Mike Cammalleri and Adam Henrique scored to cut the margin to one as San Jose continued to have problem late in games.

Antti Niemi kept New Jersey off the board in the final 7:50, and an empty-net goal by Joe Thornton sealed the win that improved San Jose’s record to 4-0-1.

Both power-play goals came with Burns and Pavelski on the point and Couture, Thornton and Marleau up front.

Coach Todd McLellan offered a different explanation for his team’s success with the extra man as the Sharks found success on the power play for a third consecutive game.

“We scored a pretty goal tonight on it, but we’re not a pretty power-play now,” McLellan said. “We’re meat and potatoes and working. Especially early in the year, you have to have that type of recipe for success. Earlier in the year, we wanted to score some fancy goals, and we weren’t getting rewarded.”

Both special teams contributed to the win. While the power play went 2 for 4, the penalty kill was 3 for 3.

The Sharks were on their second power play when Pavelski gave them a 1-0 lead at 17:53 of the first period. A shot by Couture from the right boards caromed off Devils goalie Cory Schneider’s pads directly to Pavelski, and he buried the rebound.

Late in the second period, Marleau set up Couture for a one-timer with the man advantage that made it 2-0 at 17:52.

“Yeah, it was a relief to see it go in,” Couture said of his first goal of the season. “It’s been awhile.”

Couture returned the favour early in the third period, setting up Marleau for a shot that Schneider appeared to think he had stopped at 1:36 only to have the puck sneak into the net under the goalie’s arm.

That was only San Jose’s third goal in the final period this season, but it was offset at the 8:00 mark when Cammalleri capped an odd-man rush with a 28-foot slap shot. And when Henrique scored from right around the goal mouth at 12:10, the lead was down to one.

Still, Niemi chose to keep things in perspective as far as his team’s play in the final 20 minutes.

“Yeah, we want to get better, of course, in the third period,” he said, “but we’ve been happy to get to the third with the lead.”

Thornton became the 46th NHL player to score 1,200 points.

The Sharks had a chance to increase their lead with 3:44 left in the game, but Schneider stopped Tommy Wingels on a penalty shot after he was hauled down on a breakaway.

Andrew Desjardins tangled with Devils agitator Jordin Tootoo in a first-period fight after Tootoo drilled Adam Burish.

Eriah Hayes was in the San Jose lineup for the first time this season after being called up from Worcester. John Scott and Jason Demers were healthy scratches for the Sharks. (MCT)