SHARKS 1, FLYERS 0: Antti Niemi turned aside all 26 shots he faced to make Ryane Clowe's first-period goal stand up as host San Jose continued its mastery of Philadelphia.

Captain Joe Thornton and defenseman Brent Burns were credited with assists for the Sharks, who recorded their ninth straight triumph over the Flyers dating back to 2000.

San Jose remained two points behind the Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Coyotes, who posted a 2-1 shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks earlier on Tuesday.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan missed the game due to concussion-like symptoms. McLellan exited Sunday's contest versus Minnesota after he was hit in the head by the stick of Wild defenseman Marco Scandella during the second period.

Philadelphia, which finished its road trip with a 2-2-0 mark, dropped to sixth in the Eastern Conference after the Ottawa Senators secured a 1-0 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

After being pulled in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Nashville Predators, Niemi was strong in net en route to posting his first victory over Philadelphia since the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.

The 28-year-old Finn stopped Wayne Simmonds on the doorstep in the first period and preserved his fifth shutout of the season and 18th career with nine stops in the third.

Clowe wasted little time opening the scoring just 1:22 into the contest. As he skated up the ice, Thornton cleared out defenseman Andrej Meszaros to secure an open lane. Clowe skated into the top of the left faceoff circle and wristed a shot past Ilya Bryzgalov for his 11th goal of the season and first in 13 games.

Bryzgalov finished with 22 saves to fall to 1-5-3 in his last nine starts versus the Sharks.

San Jose played without All-Star Logan Couture, who is nursing a lower-body injury suffered in Sunday's loss to Minnesota.

GAME NOTEBOOK: San Jose left wing T.J. Galiardi's debut was nearly cut short. Galiardi, who was traded from the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, exited the contest late in the first period after taking a hit to the head from Zac Rinaldo. He returned in the second period. ... The Flyers have allowed the first goal in eight straight games, which is their longest streak since 2003. San Jose, which entered the contest ranked 28th in the NHL when shorthanded, killed off both power-play opportunities. ... Philadelphia last won in San Jose in 1999.