Sharks edge Detroit

DETROIT -- Patrick Marleau scored the lone goal in a shootout to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. Evgeny Nabokov made a career-high 50 saves, and Joe Thornton and Dwight Helminen scored in regulation for the Sharks. It was Western Conference-leading San Jose's first win over Detroit this season after three losses. Marleau ended it in the third round of the shootout. Johan Franzen and Jason Williams scored for Detroit, and Jimmy Howard made 24 saves. Detroit forward Tomas Holmstrom returned after missing a game because of a sore left knee. Holmstrom is a member of the defending champion Swedish Olympic team. If he has a setback, he could be replaced by Franzen. Williams tied it at 2, with 7:05 left. He beat Nabokov with a wrist shot from the right faceoff dot. It wasn't originally called a goal. But after play was halted 12 seconds later, video review showed the puck went in and out under the crossbar. It was Williams' fourth goal. Franzen opened the scoring with 7:47 left in the first period with a power-play goal. But it took Thornton only 25 seconds to tie it when he put the rebound of Niclas Wallin's shot, off the backboards, into the empty net behind Howard. It was Thornton's 16th goal. Helminen made it 2-1 with just 10 seconds left in the opening period as he cored on a one-time shot from the slot. It was the first goal for the native of Hancock who played at the University of Michigan. Detroit outshot San Jose 19-9 in the first period. NOTES: Detroit D Niklas Kronwall missed his fourth game with a sore left knee. He had previously played in five games after missing two months because of a left knee injury. Kronwall, who was also selected to Team Sweden, said that if he doesn't play in Saturday's game against Ottawa -- the Red Wings' last game before the Olympic break -- it would be questionable if he could play in Vancouver ... San Jose C Manny Malhotra missed his fourth game with a lower-body injury and Sharks' D Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed his sixth because of a lower-body injury. ... Red Wings RW Patrick Eaves missed his second game with a sprained left ankle. ... San Jose RW Jed Ortmeyer, who also played at Michigan, returned after missing a game with an upper-body injury.