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The San Jose Sharks overwhelmed the Boston Bruins with four third-period goals for a 5-2 victory, as the West got the better of the East in a matchup of the NHL's top two teams.

San Jose's Patrick Marleau, Milan Michalek, Joe Thornton and Mike Grier scored successive goals to snap a three-game losing streak for the Western Conference leaders.

Marleau leveled the score at 2-2 3:32 into the final period and Michalek provided the game-winner four minutes later on a wrist shot over Boston netminder Tim Thomas's left shoulder into the top right corner of the net.

Former Bruin Thornton made it 4-2 before Grier, a former Boston college player, added an empty-netter in the closing seconds.

The game marked the first time Thorton, a former Bruins captain, had played in Boston in three years and he frequently heard boos from the home crowd.

"I had fun with it," Thornton said. "I love coming back here. It's a great city and it was a great game. Two good teams went at it, it was nice."

Boston, the Eastern Conference leader, held a 2-1 lead after the first period on two Milan Lucic goals sandwiched around Rob Blake's power-play score for San Jose.

The Bruins failed on five power-play opportunities including a 5-on-3.

"Our power play is certainly not helping us right now," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We've been good for most of the year, but the last little while, we haven't been on."

The loss was the first time this season the NHL's top club had been defeated by more than two goals.

"If you lose to a good team, it's a loss you can take if you played hard," Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference said.

"The disappointing thing is having a lead and not continuing what you're good at. That doesn't sit well."

San Jose's Ryane Clowe had three assists and Marleau two.

Evgeni Nabokov saved 28 shots for the Sharks with the Bruins' Thomas stopping 26.

More results:

NY Islanders 3-4 (SO) Los Angeles

Columbus3-0 Colorado

Tampa Bay 1-3 Atlanta

Florida 5-4 (OT) Toronto

Nashville 3-5 Detroit

St Louis 4-6 Vancouver

Reuters