Blues fall into 0-2 hole in series

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Though the St. Louis Blues tried to turn a playoff game into a brawl, the San Jose Sharks kept their heads -- and Patrick Marleau provided plenty of hats.

Marleau scored three goals and Evgeni Nabokov made 25 saves, leading the Sharks to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues in Game 2 of their first-round series Saturday.

Though Nabokov was nearly perfect again after a Game 1 shutout, San Jose took a 2-0 lead in the series thanks to its poise and discipline -- and a career-defining performance by Marleau, the All-Star who scored just one goal in the final 17 regular-season games.

The Sharks' 24-year-old captain scored in each period of a penalty-filled game to lead them past the hotheaded Blues, who gave San Jose 10 power plays in the first two periods.

"We could have overreacted to a lot of things that were going on, but we didn't," Marleau said. "If we retaliate, then we're playing it right back into their hands.."

After getting two power-play goals, Marleau sneaked behind the St. Louis defense early in the third for a short-handed goal on a pass from Vincent Damphousse, who had two assists.

The sellout crowd threw hundreds of hats onto the ice, sending the Sharks off to St. Louis for Game 3 on Monday.

Nabokov was on the verge of his second straight shutout until he allowed a terrible short-handed goal to Doug Weight with 2:09 to play, ending a streak of 127 scoreless minutes.

St. Louis was called for 11 minor penalties in the first two periods.

"The first game, they let the marginal stuff go," said Chris Pronger, who got six minor penalties. "All of the sudden, when they switch and call everything, it's difficult. It's tough to switch gears midstream like that, and it's up to us to adapt, but it's a little late."

The Blues have been in the playoffs for 25 straight seasons, but they've only rallied from a 2-0 series deficit once in franchise history.