SAN JOSE, Calif. – Dan Boyle and Joe Pavelski got San Jose's struggling power-play unit going with goals that helped the Sharks beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Saturday night.
The Sharks had converted on just three of their past 62 power-play chances heading into the game, a major reason for a February swoon that featured 10 losses in 12 games.
But with the man-advantage unit clicking like it did in scoring 12 goals the first five games, San Jose again looked like the team that started the lockout-shortened season with a franchise record seven straight wins in January.
Joe Thornton and Logan Couture assisted on both goals, and Antti Niemi made 18 saves for the Sharks, who moved from a tie for eighth into a tie for fourth in the tightly packed Western Conference, one point ahead of the Predators.
Nashville's Gabriel Bourque scored a short-handed goal with 5:30 remaining.
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