Sharks 5, Avalanche 1: Martin Havlat registered a natural hat trick in the third period as host San Jose captured its regular-season home finale.

Patrick Marleau scored and set up a goal, defenseman Dan Boyle also tallied and Logan Couture collected three assists for the Sharks, who halted a two-game skid. Havlat also set up a tally and Alex Stalock turned aside 32 shots.

Patrick Bordeleau netted the lone goal for the Avalanche, who failed in their attempt to clinch the Central Division title. Reto Berra allowed two goals on five shots in a rare start before being relieved by Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who finished with 22 saves.

San Jose opened the scoring three minutes into the contest as Boyle beat Berra with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle. Marleau made the Swiss netminder's evening a brief one, burying a blast from the top of the slot midway through the first period for a 2-0 lead.

Bordeleau halved the deficit by converting Max Talbot's cross-slot pass from the bottom of the left circle with 4:42 left in the second. But Havlat took over from there, restoring the two-goal advantage at 5:26 of the third and firing in his own rebound on a breakaway at 13:40 before completing his sixth career hat trick with an empty-netter with 4:56 remaining.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Havlat registered his hat trick in a span of 9 minutes, 38 seconds. ... One night after setting the single-season franchise record by notching his league-leading 41st victory, Colorado G Semyon Varlamov received the night off as a healthy scratch. ... Sharks rookie C Tomas Hertl played for first time since Dec. 19, when he suffered a right knee injury that required surgery 12 days later. ... Avalanche RW PA Parenteau returned to the lineup from a knee injury suffered on March 10 and was stopped by Stalock on a breakaway late in the second period. ... San Jose D Scott Hannan and Colorado D Tyson Barrie were injured on first-period hits by Bordeleau and D Jason Demers, respectively, and did not return. ... The Sharks scored a total of four goals in their previous three games.