Marchand's Overtime Goal Lifts Bruins Over Sharks
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Brad Marchand scored a breakaway goal 2:36 into overtime as the Boston Bruins beat the Sharks 2-1 Sunday night.
Patrice Bergeron won a defensive-zone draw from San Jose's Joe Thornton and Torey Krug lofted a lead pass to a breaking Marchand, who scored his team-leading 25th goal of the season.
The Sharks lost for the sixth time in eight games, but have picked up points in seven of those games. Boston is 4-0 under new coach Bruce Cassidy, and the Bruins own two wins over San Jose this month.
San Jose, which outshot Boston 6-5 in the final period and 29-23 in regulation, went to overtime for the fifth time in eight games.
The Sharks drew even with a goal late in the second period as the teams skated four-on-four.
Roughing penalties to San Jose's Brenden Dillon and Boston's Riley Nask at 17:05 helped to open the ice, and the hosts pounced with Patrick Marleau scoring his 21st goal of the season just 32 seconds later.
Brent Burns delayed at the top of the right circle, and when the defenseman finally wristed a drive toward the net, Boston defenseman Torey Krug stepped out and deflected it right to an unmarked Marleau at the bottom of the left circle.
Marleau punched home his ninth goal in 13 games and moved into a tie for 43rd place with Joe Mullen on the NHL list with his 502nd career goal.
San Jose was stymied to that point of the period despite putting up 16 shots in the middle session. Burns clanked a drive off the far post with an effort from the right point just before the 16-minute mark.
The Bruins scored the only goal of the opening period, taking advantage of San Jose's poor net-front coverage just past the midway point of the session.
Boston center Ryan Spooner was all alone at the right post to gather a hard carom off the end boards and deposit his ninth goal of the season into an open net at 11:05. Jones was caught out trying to poke-check Jimmy Hayes, whose turnaround shot from in front went just wide.
San Jose failed to convert on the only power play of the period. The Sharks put two shots on goal with Bruins captain Zdeno Chara in the box for an interference call at 13:13.
Boston outshot San Jose 9-7 in the first period.
NOTES: Bruins D Torey Krug appeared in his 300th career game. ... The Sharks begin their five-day break and don't play again until Feb. 25 at Vancouver. ... Boston continues a four-game road trip at Anaheim on Wednesday. ... San Jose G Martin Jones made his 50th start of the season. ... Bruins LW Tim Schaller jumped into the lineup on the fourth line replacing LW Matt Beleskey, who was a healthy scratch along with D Jed Morrow and D John-Michael Liles. C Austin Czarnik remains out with a lower-body injury. ... LW Joonas Donskoi (upper body) hopes to return for the first game after San Jose's break. D Dylan DeMelo remains out with a broken wrist. ... LW Marcus Sorensen and D Mirco Mueller were healthy scratches for the Sharks.
