EDMONTON -- The San Jose Sharks have learned the value of jumping on a team early, especially when it is a squad that is floundering as badly as the Edmonton Oilers. Air Force 1 Mid Nere . Patrick Marleau had a goal and an assist and Joe Thornton had three helpers as the Sharks won their third straight on a five-game road trip, defeating the last-place Oilers 3-1 on Friday. "Coming off back-to-back nights, you want to get off to a good lead and we were able to do that with two early first ones," Thornton said. "We just kind of rolled on after that. It is always nice to get a 2-0 lead like that when you are playing back-to-back." Its been a positive trip for the Sharks who were 0-1-4 in their previous five games before winning three straight. "We feel good," Thornton said. "We werent playing bad, even if we had a few extra-time losses. Weve got points in nine of our 10 last games. We have a good team in here." Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said that Thornton continues to play a major role in determining the teams direction. "We know he can make plays and run the offence and all of that type of stuff, but it is the back check, the tracking, the defensive play, the face-offs and shot blocking that really fulfills his game," he said. "It is not always about the score sheet, it is about all the little things he does. "When he is doing them properly everybody seems to fall in line and follow." Joe Pavelski and Tomas Hertl also scored for the Sharks (13-2-5) who moved one point back of the Anaheim Ducks for the Pacific Division lead. Nail Yakupov responded for the Oilers (4-15-2), who have lost six games in a row at home and have gone 1-9-1 in their last 11 games. Edmonton has been outscored 23-3 in their last six contests at home. The Oilers are a distressing 1-7-0 on home ice this season and have fallen into dead last place in the NHL, with the Buffalo Sabres defeating Toronto 3-1 on the night. "Im so tired of coming in here after games and giving a reason why we lost," said Oilers forward Taylor Hall. "You have to win. It doesnt matter how you win, if youre goalie stands on his head or you get lucky, you just have to win games. "Its been tough to do that this year. Were all trying really hard but were not winning games. Something is not clicking for us and we have to figure out what that is." Oilers forward David Perron added his frustration. "No one is going to feel sorry for us, its the NHL and were lucky to be in this position," he said. "If we cant get up to battle, we dont belong in this league. We have to find a way to come out flying like we did in the second and third, that was a lot better." Edmonton had a bit of foreshadowing of what was to come to start the game when Logan Couture rang a shot off the post just 10 seconds in. The Sharks got on the scoreboard with four minutes to play in the first period on a power-play goal. Edmonton goalie Devan Dubnyk got knocked out of position by Oilers defenceman Andrew Ference, allowing Pavelski to shoot his seventh of the season into the vacant cage. San Jose struck again just over a minute later as Thornton won a battle for the puck behind the net and fed it through the crease to Hertl, who was able to redirect it into the Edmonton net for his team-leading 12th goal of the season. The Sharks had 14 first period shots, while Edmonton only put six on San Jose backup goalie Alex Stalock. San Jose took a 3-0 lead four minutes into the second frame as a poor pass back to the point by Oiler Luke Gazdic led to a three-on-two opportunity that Marleau converted with a shot to beat Dubnyk glove side for his 10th of the season. Edmonton had a glorious chance to end its lengthy home-scoring drought seven minutes into the second period as Ryan Smyth had Stalock cleanly beat on a wraparound attempt, but sent the puck through the crease and off the post. Oilers defenceman Philip Larsen hit a post on the next shift. The Oilers finally got a goal after being shutout in three consecutive home games -- and going 214 minutes and 52 seconds without a goal at Rexall Place -- with a power-play marker at the 12:48 of the second period. A big rebound came out to Yakupov, who wasted no time drilling a one-timer into the net for his third of the season. With the goal, the Oilers were able to avoid becoming the first team in 84 years to get shut out in four straight home games, a feat dubiously accomplished by the Chicago Blackhawks, who went an NHL record six straight from Feb. 10-28, 1929. The 1927 Montreal Maroons were the only other team to be blanked in four consecutive games at home. "Its always good when you score and you get points, but we only have four wins and weve played 21 games," Yakupov said. "I dont know whats going on, were a little frustrated about it. Were trying to get the two points, but we cant." San Jose almost scored another early in the third period when Couture was snake-bitten again, this time having a shot ring off the crossbar and then the post. "I think I had three posts tonight," Couture said. "I just couldnt buy a goal. It was a little frustrating, but it is nice to be getting the chances like that." The Sharks hit two more posts in the third. The Oilers make a quick one-game trip to play the Flames in Calgary on Saturday. The Sharks wrap up a five-game trip on Sunday in Chicago. Notes: It was the first of five games this season between the Pacific Division foes. The Sharks swept their three-game series with the Oilers in the strike-shortened 2012-13 campaign and came into the game having won five of six and nine of their last 11 in Rexall Place in Edmontona The Oilers made a couple of roster moves before the game, calling up young defender Oscar Klefbom and sending rookie forward Mark Arcobello to their AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. Arcobello is tied for second in NHL rookie scoring with 12 points this seasona The rookie overall points leader is Sharks forward Tomas Hertl, who now has 12 goals and 18 points in 20 gamesa San Jose winger Brent Burns missed the game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day. Out long term for San Jose are Adam Burish (back surgery) and Raffi Torres (knee)a The Oilers are inching their way back from a long list of early season injuries, now only without defenceman Justin Schultz (groin), forward Tyler Pitlick (knee) and goaltender Richard Bachman (groin). Air Force 1 Scontate . Fans can also watch the game on the newly launched TSN GO (currently available to Bell TV and Rogers customers), which gives TSN subscribers the freedom to live stream the networks programming from their smartphones, tablets, and computers at no additional charge – just as they would watch Canadas Sports Leader on TV at home. The following week, MLS ON TSN is at BMO Field in Toronto to deliver live coverage of TFCs home opener vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p. Air Force 1 Alte Bianche Italia . He never mentioned anything about his hitting. The 33-year-old right-hander had success with both Sunday, pitching six solid innings and helping the offence-starved Mets with an RBI single as New York salvaged a doubleheader split with a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.BRANDON, Man. -- Hockey fans in Brandon only needed to show up for one period, and the Wheat Kings made it count. Brandon scored all four of its goals during a seven-goal second period en route to a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oil Kings in Western Hockey League play Wednesday. Ryan Pulock scored twice and had two assists for the Wheat Kings (3-2-0), while Jayce Hawryluk and Tim McGauley also scored and Curtis Honey made 33 saves. Mitchell Moroz scored three consecutive goals for Edmonton (2-3-0) in the span of two minutes 32 seconds. Tyler Santos was yanked after allowing three goals on 11 shots, and Tristan Jarry made 11 saves in relief. --- RAIDERS 4 REBELS 1 PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. -- Reid Gardner scored twice to keep the Raiders undefeated in the early season. Jayden Hart and Craig Leverton also scored for Prince Albert (5-0-0), while Cole Cheveldave made 24 saves. Matt Bellerive had Red Deers (2-3-0) lone goal, and Patrik Bartosak kept the team in the game with 27 saves. The Raiders power play outworked the opposition, scoring twice on five opportunities compared to the three scoreless chances for the Rebels. --- HITMEN 5 HURRICANES 3 LETHBRIDGE, Alta. -- Calgarys offence was too much for the Hurricanes to handle. The Hitmen scored three goals during a second period where they outshot Lethbridge 21-6. Jaynen Rissling, Pavel Padakin, Greg Chase, Zane Jones and Ben Thomas scored for Calgary (2-1-0) while Chris Driedger stopped 25 shots. Corbin Boes allowed five goals on 44 shots in net for Lethbridge (1-3-1). Jamal Watson scored twice and Brady Ramsay had the games lone power-play goal. --- BRONCOS 5 BLADES 3 SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. -- The Broncos opened a twwo-goal lead in the first period and never looked back against Saskatoon. Sf Air Force 1 Mid Desert Ochre. Brett Lernout, Colby Cave, Jay Merkley, Bobby Zinkan and Coda Gordon each scored for Swift Current (3-1-1). Ryan Coghlan scored twice for the winless Blades (0-5-0), and Nikita Scherbak added a single. Landon Bow stopped 22 shots for Swift Current for a far easier game than Alex Moodies 44-save performance for Saskatoon. --- WINTERHAWKS 6 CHIEFS 4 PORTLAND, Ore. -- The defending WHL champion Winterhawks stormed to a 4-1 lead in the first period against rival Spokane. Nicolas Petan, Alex Schoenborn and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored twice for Portland (3-1-1). Jason Fram, Blair Oneschuk, Connor Chartier and Riley Whittingham replied for the Chiefs (4-1-0). Portland goaltender Brendan Burke made 27 saves, while at the other end Garret Hughson stopped 33 shots. --- ROYALS 1 COUGARS 0 PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. -- A mistake during a power play cost the Cougars at home. Ben Walkers short-handed goal at 7:40 in the second period was all the offence Victoria (3-4-0) needed. Royals goaltender Patrik Polivka earned the shutout with 28 saves. Ty Edmonds stopped 23-of-24 shots for Prince George (3-4-0). --- ROCKETS 6 SILVERTIPS 3 EVERETT, Wash. -- Kelowna took a 3-0 lead after the first period and held on against the Silvertips. Madison Bowey and Nick Merkley each scored twice for the Rockets (3-0-1), who also had singles from Damon Severson and Zach Franko. Matt Pufahl, Jujhar Khaira and Ivan Nikolishan scored for the Silvertips (2-1-0). Jackson Whistle was steady in net for Kelowna with 29 saves, while Daniel Cotton and Austin Lotz combined for 20 saves for Everett. ' ' '
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