SAN JOSE -- Dan Boyle's goal with 59.4 seconds to play lifted San Jose past Nashville 4-3 at sold-out HP Pavilion.
The victory gave the Sharks 28 points atop the overall standings. The Predators slipped to 7-8-1.
Boyle was about to come off the ice for a line change when Joe Pavelski intercepted a pass in the neutral zone to begin a rush on goal. Boyle, who trails only Toronto's Tomas Kaberle in scoring by defensemen, received the puck from Ryane Clowe and roped a shot from the bottom of the right circle toward the net. Goaltender Dan Ellis tried to stop the puck between his pads, but the puck squirted through the opening for the game-winner.
Nashville snapped a 2-2 tie 9:29 into the third when Patric Hornqvist redirected a shot from the left post by Dan Hamhuis. San Jose pulled even at 13:26 when Devin Setoguchi slapped a shot from the left dot inside the left post off a Boyle assist.
Both teams brought hot streaks into Tuesday's showdown. San Jose carried an 8-0-1 mark over its past nine, Nashville 4-1 in the past five.
Coach Todd McLellan sent out rookie goaltender Thomas Greiss to face the Predators. Greiss had two previous appearances this season, his only start a 4-1 win over Philadelphia on Oct. 25.
San Jose struck first when Pavelski netted his second goal of the season 10:01 into the first period.
Patrick Marleau, tied for third in the scoring race entering play with 22 points, controlled the puck along the right boards, into the Nashville zone and around the net. As Marleau skated across the left goalline, he slid a pass to a charging Pavelski from the left circle, allowing Pavelski a 1-on-1 with Ellis that resulted in the puck flying into the top right corner of the net.
Nashville's goal was caused by a shot from the top of the right circle by Andreas Thuresson. The puck bounced off Predator Martin Erat at the edge of the crease, the puck dropping behind Greiss and in front of the goalline. Nashville's Michael Santorelli jammed behind Greiss to tap the puck in the net as Manny Malhotra tried the prevent Santorelli's advance at 18:20.
San Jose's ninth shot on net resulted in a 2-1 lead 2:33 into the second period.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic sent a hard shot toward the net from the left point. Shark Brad Staubitz skated through the slot and deflected the high shot toward the right circle. Jamie McGinn controlled the puck and quickly sent an effective shot inside the right post to beat Ellis.
The first penalty of the game was called 6:32 into the second when Shark Derek Joslin was whistled for cross-checking. Malhotra blocked one shot from the left point. Scott Nichol, who played the past four seasons with Nashville, wiped out another Predator advance when he intercepted a pass in the low slot and cleared the zone while linemate McGinn was playing without a stick.
Marcel Goc, who played 265 games for the Sharks before he was released last summer, earned his first goal for his new team when he cracked a slapshot from the left circle past Greiss and inside the right post at 14:49 of the second period for the 2-2 deadlock. Jordan Tootoo managed his first point of the season by assisting Goc.
San Jose completes a three-game hoemstand Thursday night against the Dallas Stars.
Bob Burch Bob Burch is a sports writer for the Morgan Hill Times.
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