Sharks launch 41 shots in 3-1 victory

The Sharks didn’t need punches or power plays this time to get the upper hand against Nashville.

Milan Michalek and Ryane Clowe scored second-period goals, and San Jose pounded the Predators with 41 shots in a methodical 3-1 victory in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series Monday night at San Jose, Calif.

Captain Patrick Marleau scored the clinching goal with 4:26 to play, and Evgeni Nabokov made 19 saves behind the Sharks’ relentless offensive attack to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series.

After splitting two fight-filled games in Nashville amid mutual accusations of dirty play, both 51-victory clubs were more mellow on the West Coast – but there was nothing laid-back about the Sharks’ effort. Though the Sharks’ vaunted power play is an inept 1 for 18 against Nashville, hard work turned Game 3 in San Jose’s favor during an 18-shot second period.

Sabres 3, Islanders 2: At Uniondale, N.Y., after two games where most of the offense came from the defense, forwards Thomas Vanek, Daniel Briere and Adam Mair connected in the second period to lift Buffalo past New York and give the top-seeded Sabres a 2-1 lead in the Eastern series.

The Sabres, who led the NHL with 308 goals, scored six while splitting the first two games on home ice. Chris Drury, who assisted on Mair’s goal, scored twice in the series-opening win for the only goals by Buffalo forwards.

That all changed when the Sabres scored three times in a span of 7:39.

Lightning 3, Devils 2: At Tampa, Fla., the Lightning are finding ways to make Martin Brodeur look ordinary.

Vincent Lecavalier scored his fourth goal of the playoffs, and Brad Richards and Vinny Prospal each tallied their first in helping Tampa Bay beat New Jersey in Game 3 of the first-round Eastern series the Lightning lead 2-1.

Johan Holmqvist, who has rebounded from a shaky NHL postseason debut to outplay Brodeur the past two games, stopped 30 shots as the seventh-seeded Lightning took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 matchup. Game 4 is at Tampa on Wednesday night.

Senators’ Eaves to miss game

Ottawa forward Patrick Eaves, knocked out by a hard hit from Pittsburgh’s Colby Armstrong on Sunday, will miss Game 4 of the teams’ first-round playoff series tonight.

While Eaves was not hospitalized, he will be replaced for at least one game by Oleg Saprykin.