Pavelski leads Sharks over Penguins 5-0

By JOSH DUBOW

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist in his first game back from the injured list and Evgeni Nabokov made 27 saves and the San Jose Sharks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins for the seventh straight time at home, 5-0 Saturday night.

Photo by D. Ross Cameron

Pittsburgh Penguins' Chris Kunitz, left, watches as San Jose Sharks teammates Jamie McGinn, center, and Jed Ortmeyer celebrate McGinn's goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

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Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby was held pointless for a fourth straight game for the fourth time in his career. He hit the post with a shot early in the second period but was unable to convert against Nabokov and the Sharks.

Dan Boyle, Dany Heatley, Jamie McGinn and Manny Malhotra also scored for San Jose, which has eight wins and a tie at home against Pittsburgh since last losing to the Penguins at the Shark Tank 5-2 on Oct. 22, 1997, when Crosby was only 10 years old.

The Sharks played back-to-back games against the Stanley Cup finalists, losing a shootout in Detroit to the runner-up Red Wings on Thursday before dominating champion Pittsburgh. San Jose led 4-0 less than 4 minutes into the second period, outshooting Pittsburgh 17-3 at one point.

The Penguins had tied a team record with seven straight road wins before losing 5-2 to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. They followed that up with the loss in San Jose, making the first time in 42 regular season games under coach Dan Bylsma that Pittsburgh has gone consecutive games without a point.

Nabokov made a strong save on a one-timer by Bill Guerin on the power play midway through the first period and turned away 12 shots in the second on the way to his 49th career shutout.

San Jose knocked Marc-Andre Fleury out 1:41 into the second period when Boyle wove through the Penguins defense on a long rush up ice before beating Fleury with a wrist shot that made it 3-0. Fleury made 11 saves.

Brent Johnson didn't fare much better, allowing a quick goal to Heatley. Joe Thornton made a perfect feed to Pavelski, who was coming out of the penalty box. Johnson stopped Pavelski's shot but Heatley tipped the rebound in for the 4-0 lead and the rout was on.

Sharks enforcer Jody Shelley got into a pair of fights in the third period, getting the best of Jay McKee and Eric Godard. The first led to a power-play goal by Malhotra.

The Sharks dominated play in the opening period, outshooting the Penguins 13-3 and scoring the only two goals. McGinn got it started when Jed Ortmeyer forced a turnover at the blue line and sprung McGinn up ice with a blind pass. McGinn's second-effort shot from a bad angle got past Fleury and gave San Jose the 1-0 lead.

The Sharks then came though on the power play for just the second time in six home games this season. Boyle fired a pass from the point that Pavelski redirected past a helpless Fleury. Pavelski had missed the previous five weeks after breaking his foot while blocking a shot against Anaheim on Oct. 3.

NOTES: Pittsburgh C Tyler Kennedy was sidelined for the fifth time in six games with an undisclosed injury. ... Pittsburgh is 2-14-2 in California since the start of the 1999-2000 season. ... Pittsburgh D Kris Letang left the game in the first period, holding his right arm awkwardly. He did not return. ... Pittsburgh is 0-for-21 on the power play in its last four games. ... Nabokov is 8-1 in nine career starts against the Penguins.