Sharks Beat Avalanche As Patrick Marleau Scores Four Goals in Third Period

The San Jose Sharks are in what is currently a tight three team race with the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks for the NHL Pacific Division lead. On January 23rd, the Sharks played Colorado in Denver, it what should have been a winnable game against the Avalanche, a team firmly in last place in the NHL Central Division. But Colorado was not rolling over for the west coasters, and after spotting the Sharks a 1-0 lead in the first period, tied in up the second. It was 1-1 at the second intermission.

Then in the third period, 19 year veteran forward Patrick Marleau took command of the situation. Marleau, who has spent all of those 19 NHL seasons with San Jose, scored four goals in the third period as the Sharks went on to beat the Avalanche 5-2. It was the twelfth time in NHL history that a player has scored four goals in one period, but the first since Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux did it in a game at Montreal on January 26th, 1997.

The Ducks also won their game, beating Winnipeg 3-2. Edmonton did not play. At the close of play on the 23rd, Anaheim led the division with 63 points, San Jose was right behind with 62, and Edmonton had 60. The Oilers and Ducks will play in Anaheim on January 25th, and the Sharks will host Edmonton on the 26th. Anaheim and San Jose will not face each other again until March 18th.