(Sports Network) - David Legwand was credited with the game- winning goal midway through the second period to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks at Sommet Center.

Steve Sullivan, Jerred Smithson and Joel Ward also scored for Nashville, which has won three straight games. Pekka Rinne allowed three goals on 32 shots in the win.

Scott Nichol, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau tallied for the Sharks, who failed to record at least one point for the first time in 13 games (9-1-3). Backup goaltender Thomas Greiss finished with 27 saves in the losing effort.

"We turned it on at the end, but we thought we could do it again like we did back home," said Nichol, referring to San Jose's 4-3 comeback win over the Predators on November 10 when the Sharks scored twice late in the third period. "It wasn't the case and now it's back to the drawing board."

A holding penalty on San Jose's Logan Couture at 11:44 of the first period led to a 1-0 Nashville lead. During the Predators' ensuing two-minute power play, Sullivan's fifth goal of the campaign at the 13:19 made it 1-0. However, only 64 seconds later, with the Sharks still short-handed due to another minor penalty, Nichol's tip-in goal knotted the contest.

Smithson's fourth goal of 2009-10 at 16:06 gave the hosts a 2-1 lead after the opening 20 minutes.

The Preds continued to light the lamp with two more tallies in the second period. After Ward's power-play marker -- a tip-in of a Ryan Suter point shot -- made it 3-1 at the 8:16 mark of the stanza, Legwand's one-timer from the left circle midway through the frame gave Nashville a three-goal advantage.

"We needed that. In the third period they were going to come hard," said Rinne. "They were going to press and do everything they could to make it even."

Inside the final minute of the middle session, Thornton's quick shot from the left side resulted in his sixth goal of the season and pulled the visitors within 4-2 at the 19:19 mark.

The only goal of the third was scored by Marleau with less than a minute remaining in regulation while the Sharks had six attackers on the ice after Greiss skated to the bench.

Game Notes

The last regulation loss suffered by the Sharks prior to this contest was on October 22, a 5-2 setback at Tampa Bay...The Preds were 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Sharks went scoreless on both of their chances with the extra skater...Marleau is second in the Western Conference in goals this season.





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