Marleau lifts Sharks in overtime

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Patrick Marleau scored his second goal of the game at 4:56 of overtime to extend the San Jose Sharks’ winning streak to five games with a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

Logan Couture, with his franchise rookie-record tying 25th goal of the season, also scored while Antti Niemi stopped 24 shots. Improving to 14-2-1 in their past 17 games, the surging Sharks vaulted a point ahead of Phoenix to take over the Pacific Division lead.

Tyler Kennedy scored twice for the Penguins, including tying the game by stuffing in Jordan Staal’s rebound, with 50 seconds remaining in the third period.

Marleau scored the decisive goal during a scramble in front, and after Marc-Andre Fleury stopped Couture from in close. The rebound dribbled to the left of the net, where Marleau flipped it in.

The goal was payback for Marleau, who was in on a breakaway a minute earlier, only to be robbed by Fleury’s brilliant glove save.

The Penguins are winless in their past three (0-1-2) and dropped to 2-5-2 in their past nine since Evgeni Malkin sustained a season-ending knee injury to join captain Sidney Crosby on the injury list. Crosby is out indefinitely after missing his 21st straight game with a concussion.

The Penguins might be down yet another key player after defenseman Brooks Orpik did not return for the start of the second period after taking Marleau’s shot off his hand late in the opening period. Orpik skated off shaking his hand and was escorted up the tunnel. The Penguins had no update on his status during the game.