SAN JOSE, CALIF. (AP) -- Joe Pavelski scored two goals in helping the San Jose Sharks improve their playoff chances with a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.
San Jose jumped into the Pacific Division lead with 88 points after both the Los Angeles Kings and Dallas Stars lost earlier on Monday. The Stars dropped all the way into a tie with Phoenix with 87 points.
Andrew Desjardins, Torrey Mitchell and Ryane Clowe also scored for the Sharks, who won their third straight.
Shane O'Brien scored for the Avalanche, who lost their third straight after going 7-1-1 in their previous nine games.
Antti Niemi stopped 31 of 32 shots for the win while Semyon Varlamov had 31 saves.
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