Logan Couture leads San Jose Sharks in 3-2 victory over Calgary Flames

CALGARY, Canadai - Logan Couture scored once and set-up the go-ahead goal Saturday night to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.

Patrick Marleau scored the winner, breaking a 2-2 tie at 9:18 of the third period on a unique play.

When Couture swatted at the puck behind the net, it deflected off the stick of Flames defenceman Mark Giordano and went high into the air, sailed over top of the Calgary net and came down right in front of Marleau. Marleau then batted the puck out of mid-air past Karri Ramo, who had no idea where the puck was.

Justin Braun also scored for San Jose (14-10-4).

Giordano and Johnny Gaudreau replied for Calgary (17-9-2), which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

After the Flames shut out San Jose 2-0 on Nov. 26, Sharks coach Todd McLellan put Couture, Marleau and Tommy Wingels together as a line. They have been on fire ever since, as San Jose has won four straight games.

During those four games, that trio has combined for 20 points. Wingels has been the hottest of the three with nine points (three goals, six assists) in that stretch including two assists on Saturday.

The Sharks had a 1:29 two-man advantage inside the game's final five minutes but were unable to take advantage. With the Scotiabank Saddledome crowd buzzing, Calgary then went on the attack and eventually got a power play of their own with 1:19 left when Jiri Hudler was hauled down by Justin Braun.

But the Flames, who have made third-period comebacks their specialty all year, could not tie it this time despite pulling Ramo to make it a 6-on-4 and pouring on the pressure.

A big moment in the game came late in the second period when the Sharks' third-ranked power play failed to score on a penalty to Giordano. Thirty seconds after at 17:49, the Flames tied it 2-2.

Hudler's long shot was stopped by Antti Niemi, but with the puck lying against his outstretched pad, an uncovered Gaudreau at the top of the crease dug the puck free and and fire in his fifth of the season.

Gaudreau has 21 points to rank second in rookie scoring behind Nashville's Filip Forsberg.

San Jose was outplayed by a wide margin most of the first period before turning it on in the final minute, forcing Karri Ramo to make a couple of great saves.

While they didn't score, that momentum seemed to carry over into the second period as the Sharks took just 33 seconds to tie the game 1-1.

Kris Russell's attempt to clear the puck around the boards hit Wingels in the shin and caromed sharply into the slot to Braun, who quickly sent a backhand past Ramo.

Wingels has eight points (three goals, five assists) in his last four games.

The Sharks scored again two minutes later when Flames defenceman Raphael Diaz whiffed on his attempt to clear the puck as it caromed off the end boards, enabling Couture to steal it and dart to the net where he rang a backhand off the far goal post.

Calgary took a 1-0 lead to the first intermission thanks to a blast off the stick of Giordano at 17:32.

It was the ninth goal and 28th point of the season for the Flames captain, who leads all NHL defencemen in scoring.

Ramo had his six-game winning streak snapped to fall to 8-3-1. He had 27 saves.

Niemi had 33 stops to improve to 11-7-3.

Notes: Matt Stajan (knee) returned to Calgary's line-up after missing 16 games. Also playing was Brian McGrattan, a healthy scratch the past seven games. Scratched forwards were Brandon Bollig and Sven Baertschi. ... San Jose's Matt Nieto (undisclosed injury) did not play. Barclay Goodrow took his spot. ... John Scott's assist on Couture's goal was his first assist in 120 games. His last assist was Dec. 16, 2011. ... The Flames are 6-7-0 when trailing after two periods. The team record for comeback wins is seven, which has been done twice — last in 1987-88.