Ryane Clowe had talked for days about how it was time for him to "get off the schneid.''

He was still looking for his first goal of the season, and he knew the Sharks expected more after signing him to a new four-year, $14.5 million contract over the summer.

Friday night, Clowe and the schneid parted company.

His goal broke up a scoreless game to lead help give the Sharks a 3-1 victory over the Western Conference-leading Colorado Avalanche at HP Pavilion. Dany Heatley and Jamie McGinn added goals as the Sharks beat the NHL's hottest goalie, Craig Anderson, to win their sixth game in the last seven.

"I thought the period was over," Clowe said of his goal that came with just 5.9 seconds remaining in the second period. "Then I started skating toward the net and there were four whacks at it. It felt nice to go in, that's for sure."

Clowe's goal came on the 32nd of a season-high 46 shots the Sharks would take on Anderson, as San Jose executed its strategy of just pounding the puck on net and hope for a second or third rebound — like Clowe's — to get past him.

"A big part of why they're in first is their goaltending, and you saw that tonight, some of those spectacular saves," Clowe said. "He's got those long quick legs."

The victory ended a short homestand, but the Sharks went 2-for-2 in the payback department, beating teams that had defeated San Jose on the road earlier this season. Clowe was instrumental in

The shootout goal doesn't count statistically, making Friday night's his first.

"We'd have preferred it happen three weeks ago, but we're happy for Ryane," said Sharks coach Todd McLellan, who had been trying different ways to motivate Clowe all month. "Nobody really realizes how hard he's worked here lately, on the ice and off the ice, doing a lot of things to try and find his game."

Unlike many recent games, the Sharks did get off to a decent start, though they had nothing to show for it until Clowe's goal. A rebound of defenseman Rob Blake's shot went right to Marleau, and the rebound of his shot went right to Clowe, who was crashing the net from the left side.

"I just wanted to try and swipe at it because I knew he was out of the net," Clowe said. "I wasn't trying to get it up or put it anywhere. I just wanted to make contact with it."

Heatley's ninth goal of the season gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead at 3:59, when defenseman Jason Demers found the left wing all alone at the side of the Colorado net and got him the puck for an easy redirect.

The Avalanche cut the lead in half at 9:34 with a short-handed goal by rookie Matt Duchene. But 30 seconds later, McGinn restored the two-goal lead when he took a pass from Patrick Marleau, skated up ice and fired a 28-foot wrist shot into the Avalanche net.

The puck went in and out of the net so quickly that McGinn wasn't certain he had scored.

"I was going after the rebound so I wasn't sure. I was just playing the puck out and I was glad when the ref blew it down and said it was a goal," McGinn said of the play that survived a video review.

Notes: A deflected puck hit Thornton in the mouth about seven minutes into the second period. Thornton missed a shift or two as he went to the locker room for repairs, then returned to action. ... The Sharks are using today strictly for travel, flying to Raleigh, N.C., for Sunday's day game against the Carolina Hurricanes. That contest starts at 10:30 a.m. PST. ... Comcast SportsNet California is not carrying Wednesday's game against Columbus but has given the green light to lift the Bay Area blackout on the NHL Network. That means Sharks fans with access to NHL Network will be able to watch the Blue Jackets feed.