Sharks beat Red Wings 4-2 after second period burst

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The San Jose Sharks scored three second-period goals to beat the visiting Detroit Red Wings 4-2 on Thursday and register their best ever start to a season.

In a clash of the two top teams in the Western Conference, Patrick Marleau sparked San Jose's scoring salvo with his sixth goal of the season at 7:01 in the second period.

Jamie McGinn put the Sharks 2-1 ahead with his first career goal and Ryan Clowe followed up with a score to give the San Jose (9-2-0) three unanswered goals in just under three-and-a-half minutes after Detroit had taken an early lead.

"Every night we do something we've addressed a little bit better," Sharks coach Todd McLellan told reporters. "Tonight's lesson was we learned how to win games."

McLellan, who served as Detroit's assistant the previous three seasons, won his first meeting against his former team.

Joe Pavelski added a goal 6:08 into the third as San Jose notched its fifth win in its last six contests.

"I think we got 'Winged' tonight," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "They did everything tonight like we try to do."

"They were getting pucks to the net, and we knew that would be part of their game plan," Detroit's Ty Conklin added. "They really rebounded from (an early) goal by us."

The weary Red Wings were coming off of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks the night before, and have now played five contests in seven nights.