DENVER -- Brent Burns' tie-breaking goal late in regulation made him the hero, but the defenseman preferred to heap praise on left wing Patrick Marleau instead.

It was his veteran teammate and offseason workout partner who made the play that helped the San Jose Sharks stop their slump.

Burns had two goals, including one with 1:39 remaining off a pass from Marleau, and the Sharks beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Sunday.

Goaltender Martin Jones stopped 23 shots and right winger Joel Ward also scored for the Sharks, who won for just the second time in the last seven games.

Marleau finished with two assists to move within four of 1,000 for his career. He sent a cross-ice pass to Burns as he pinched in, and the defenseman beat goaltender Semyon Varlamov with a screened shot from the right circle.

"Patty made a great play delaying, created some space," Burns said. "Their guys all just kind of collapsed down and I was able to jump in and I just kind of shot it on net."

Marleau also set up Ward's goal. Burns said Marleau, 36 and just two months younger than center Joe Thornton, is a physical marvel.

"I train with him all summer and he really is just a freak of a man," Burns said. "Forget about his age, he's lifted more weight than anybody. He's faster than everybody. He's really one of those special people that aren't around every day."

Sharks center Joe Pavelski scored an empty-net goal 19 seconds after Burns' tally. It was his sixth of the season.

Right winger Dennis Everberg answered Pavelski's score with a goal at 18:55, but the Avalanche couldn't tie it with Varlamov off for an extra skater.

Defenseman Francois Beauchemin and right winger Jarome Iginla also scored for the Avalanche.

Varlamov finished with 28 saves for Colorado, which is 1-5-1 in its last seven games. Defenseman Tyson Barrie had two assists for the Avalanche.

"At the end of the day we don't get away with any points, and that's what really matters," Colorado captain and left wing Gabriel Landeskog said. "It's the business of winning and you have to win or you're not doing your job. I think we played a solid game for 56 minutes and then we had a mental breakdown."

The Sharks bounced back from a tough loss in Dallas on Saturday. That game was tied late before the Stars scored twice to win 5-3.

"A big two points, as big as two points can get 10 games into the season," Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said of Sunday's game. "We needed them. We had done enough to be close but not enough to earn a win."

The game was tied at 2-2 after the teams traded quick goals on Colorado's power play during the second period. Burns got a shorthanded goal at 12:03 that gave the Sharks a 2-1. It was his second goal of the season.

The Avalanche tied it 21 seconds later on Beauchemin's first goal of the season.

Iginla had given the Avalanche an early 1-0 lead with his fourth goal of the season. He got the puck on a deflection off Burns' stick and beat Jones just inside the left post at 5:17 of the first period. It was his 593rd goal of his career.

"We've struggled lately to score goals on the power play. Finally, we did some good things today," Beauchemin said. "Five-on-five, we just couldn't generate much. The difference is really small but it's right there for us."

Iginla's turnover on the left boards 1:43 later led to the tying goal. Ward got the puck and stuffed in his own rebound with Barrie draped over him for Ward's seventh goal of the season, all coming in the last six games.

NOTES: Avalanche D Nikita Zadarov was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. The 20-year-old was one of the main figures in the summer trade that sent C Ryan O'Reilly to Buffalo. Veteran D Brad Stuart took his spot in the lineup. ... Sharks LW Bryan Lerg was in the lineup after being scratched Saturday. He and D Dylan DeMelo, who was a healthy scratch Sunday, were recalled Friday. ... The Avalanche entered Sunday's game with one goal in their last 20 power plays. They converted on five of 10 to start the season. ... The Sharks played in back-to-back afternoon games. They have seven matinee games this season.