Tony Avelar, Associated Press San Jose Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala, blocks a shot by the Penguins' Mark Recchi as Christian Ehrhoff, right, looks on last night in the first period in San Jose, Calif. Click photo for larger image. Related articles Penguins Notebook: Staal happy to play in fellow rookie's big shadow

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The streaks -- all of them -- came to an end abruptly.

The Penguins, whose winning and play of the young players has been drawing increased attention, lost a little of their scoring touch and fell to the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, last night as center Joe Thornton had a goal and two assists in a physical game in front of a sellout crowd of 17,496 at HP Pavilion.

Besides spoiling coach Michel Therrien's 43rd birthday, the loss snapped a five-game winning streak and was the Penguins' first road defeat of the season after starting 4-0 away from Mellon Arena.

The Penguins finish their three-game tour of California tomorrow night against the Anaheim Ducks, who lead the NHL with 24 points, before returning home Wednesday against Tampa Bay.

Penguins rookie Evgeni Malkin had his streak of scoring at least one goal in each of his NHL games stopped at six, considered a modern-day record. He was held without a point.

The Sharks, who entered the game with the NHL's second-best penalty-killing at home, limited the Penguins' chances and cleared the puck consistently as the Penguins were 0 for 6 on the power play.

The Penguins entered the game with the NHL's third-best power play.

Thornton, the scoring champion and league MVP last season, has 42 points in 30 career games against the Penguins.

After his team's 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers at home Thursday, Sharks coach Ron Wilson shuffled his lines, breaking up the Thornton-Jonathan Cheechoo combination that was so potent last season.

If Wilson hadn't separated them, circumstances early in the game would have.

Cheechoo and Penguins defenseman Mark Eaton were headed for the corner in the Penguins' end and Cheechoo's extended left skate caught Eaton and sent him crunching into the boards.

Penguins leading scorer Sidney Crosby immediately piled on top of Cheechoo and a scrum followed.

Crosby ended up with a roughing penalty, but Cheechoo got a five-minute boarding infraction and a game misconduct.

Eaton left the game, but there was no word on a possible injury.

Each team got the puck across the goal line in the first period, but neither time counted as a goal.

After Penguins center Jordan Staal fought off defenseman Matt Carle to dig the puck out of the corner and center it to Dominic Moore in front of the crease, Moore got it underneath goaltender Vesa Toskala on his third bat at 13:13, but it was ruled that the whistle blew before the puck went into the net.

At 18:32, defenseman Kyle McLaren thought he had given the Sharks a 1-0 lead with a shot from the right circle, but the goal was nullified and Grier was given a goalie interference penalty for tangling with Marc-Andre Fleury at the top of the crease.

The Penguins were 0 for 5 on power plays in the first period.

The retooled top line of Thornton, Grier and Milan Michalek helped produce the game's first goal.

McLaren, taking a drop pass from Thornton, ripped a shot from the right edge of the high slot that got behind Fleury but stopped short of the goal line. McLaren and Thornton swooped in on Fleury, with McLaren reaching with one hand on his stick and pushing the puck in the net at 1:17 of the second period for a 1-0 Sharks lead.

Michel Ouellet tied it for the Penguins with his fifth goal at 7:20 when San Jose defenseman Josh Gorges got caught behind the play, giving Ouellet and Dominic Moore a two on one.

Ouellet broke in from the right point and beat Toskala off the far post.

When Sharks assistant Tim Hunter pointed out to the officials that a puck had gone over the glass and into the San Jose bench, the Penguins' Jarkko Ruutu got a penalty for delay of game. Thirteen seconds into the ensuing power play, Carle got his third goal to put the Sharks back on top, 2-1, at 9:44.

He converted a feed through the slot from Michalek and beat Fleury from the left circle with a lofted shot on the short side.

Grier padded San Jose's lead to 3-1 33 seconds into the third period, beating Fleury from the middle of the slot, but Moore got the Penguins back to within a goal 1:12 later when he fired a shot from low on the left side to make it 3-2.