Sharks 3, Ducks 2: Brent Burns set up the tying goal earlier in the third period before scoring with 3:59 remaining as host San Jose moved ahead of Anaheim for first place in the Pacific Division.

Captain Joe Thornton recorded a goal and two assists while Patrick Marleau also tallied for the Sharks, who climbed within two points of idle St. Louis in the race for the Presidents' Trophy. Antti Niemi turned aside 16 shots as San Jose defeated the Ducks for the third time in four meetings this season to take a two-point lead in the division.

Mathieu Perreault and former Shark Teemu Selanne scored for Anaheim, which has lost six of its last eight contests (2-4-2). Corey Perry and captain Ryan Getzlaf each notched a pair of assists while Frederik Andersen made 25 saves.

San Jose cashed in on a power-play opportunity in the first period to take the lead as Thornton made a pass from behind the net to Marleau, whose shot from the bottom of the left faceoff circle found the top left corner with 6:08 remaining. Perreault answered during a man advantage with 2:20 left in the second, firing the rebound of Perry's shot past Niemi from the right circle.

Anaheim took the lead at 1:43 of the third, when Perry grabbed a loose puck in the left circle and skated into the slot before unleashing a shot that Selanne deflected past Niemi. But Thornton buried the rebound of Burns' shot during a 2-on-1 rush at 8:11 before setting up the converted defenseman on the doorstep for a redirection past Andersen.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Thornton pulled even with Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby for the league lead with 58 assists. He now is seven away from tying Bobby Clarke (852) for 24th place on the all-time list. ... Thornton also raised his career point total to 1,187, passing Rod Brind'Amour (1,184) for 46th in NHL history. ... Getzlaf's two assists gave him 76 points, snapping a tie with Toronto's Phil Kessel for second in the league behind Crosby (91).