Vancouver, BC, Canada

Dan Boyle and Logan Couture each had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Marleau pushed San Jose's lead to a 3-1 final in beating the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night.

Goaltender Antti Niemi made 28 saves for the Sharks, who were outshot 30-28, in first-round of their Western Conference series opener.

His Canucks counterpart, Roberto Luongo, made a number of excellent saves himself as they were outshot by the Sharks 6-1 in the first 4:06 of the game.

He stopped Marleau's one-timer from the slot during a power play and also stretched across his crease to stop Martin Havlat's shot off Marleau's rebound.

Moments later, Luongo gloved Joe Thornton's shot from the wing while the Sharks were still on their power play.

Kevin Bieksa got credit for the Canuck's first goal, at 12:26 of the second period, after Sharks' Raffi Torres inadvertently stuffed the puck into his own net during a scramble.

But Couture forged a 1-all tie on a power play just more than four minutes later when he put a shot from the point over Luongo's blocker.

Boyle put the Sharks ahead 2-1 at 9:17 as diminutive Derek Roy tried to push burly San Jose forward Tommy Wingels off the puck in front as two others pressured the net.

Marleau increased San Jose's lead to 3-1 with 5:23 remaining when he put in Couture's pass from behind the net.

 

 

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Sharks Blast Canucks in Series Opener