Sharks end slide, top Blackhawks 4-2

SAN JOSE - Patrick Marleau scored in his 800th consecutive NHL game played and goalie Martin Jones made 19 saves as the Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-2, on Tuesday to snap a season-long five-game losing streak.

Evander Kane scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season shorthanded in the second period and Tomas Hertl added another insurance goal in the third period as the Sharks earned their first win since Oct. 24 when they beat the Montreal Canadiens, 4-2, at Bell Centre.

Jones had to make just eight saves through two periods as he earned his first victory since Oct. 16 when the Sharks beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 5-2. In five starts after that game, Jones had gone 0-4-0 with an .877 save percentage.

The Blackhawks got goals from Brandon Saad and Duncan Keith 68 seconds apart in the third period to cut the Sharks’ lead to 3-2 with 1:54 left in the third period. But Timo Meier scored an empty-netter with 1:26 left to help put the game away.

With the win, the Sharks ?(5-10-1) improved to 1-2-0 on their six-game homestand and moved out of the basement in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings.

Marleau is just the sixth player in NHL history to play 800 consecutive regular-season games, as his ironman streak began April 9, 2009. His goal Tuesday, at the 1:39 mark of the second period, was his third of the season and the 554th of his career.

With Marleau stationed in front of the net, a shot by Timo Meier glanced off his skate and past Blackhawks goalie Robin Lehner for a 1-0 Sharks lead. It was the first time the Sharks had held a lead in any game since Oct. 25, or a stretch of four-plus games, when they held a 1-0 lead over Toronto in the second period. The Maple Leafs scored four straight goals after that to earn a 4-1 win.