Marleau scores 2 more goals, lifts Sharks over Coyotes 3-1

Marleau scores 2 more to lift Sharks

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Patrick Marleau scored two more goals to stay ahead of the NHL with 31 and added an assist to help lead the San Jose Sharks past the slumping Phoenix Coyotes 3-1 Tuesday night.

Dany Heatley scored his 27th goal and Joe Thornton added his league-leading 49th assist for the Sharks, who won their second straight and third in a row over the Coyotes.

The Coyotes, which had pulled within three points of the Sharks for the Pacific Division lead two weeks ago lost for the fifth time in six games (1-3-2) to fall 10 points behind San Jose. Phoenix has lost three straight for the first time this season.

Marleau took advantage of a miscue by Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera to give the Sharks the lead.

LaBarbera went behind his own net to stop the puck for a defenseman only to watch the puck spin off his blade and drift into the crease. Marleau won the race to the puck, tapping it in at 11:24 of the first for a short-handed goal.

Marleau added a power-play goal at 18:06, barely touching a rolling puck originally shot by Dan Boyle from the left point.

Heatley made it 3-0 at 12:49 of the second, scoring on a rebound of his own shot as he was knocked off his skates at the top of the Phoenix crease.

Radim Vrbata cut the lead to 3-1 with 8:10 remaining when he shot from the outside hashes of the left faceoff circle went off Evgeni Nabakov and into the net for his 14th goal.

Notes: Phoenix has dropped four straight at home — two in regulation — since winning a franchise-record 10 straight games at Jobing.com Arena. … Marleau has six goals in his last five games. … The Coyotes were without defenseman Ed Jovanovski, who was suspended two games by the league for elbowing John Tavares in the chin Saturday night.