SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Owen Nolan has become a leader by example for the San Jose Sharks.

	Kings goalie Stephane Fiset redirects a shot by Patrick Marleau for one of his 19 saves.

Nolan's power-play goal at 8:51 in the second period, assisted by Vincent Damphousse, was the difference in a 2-1 Sharks victory Wednesday night over Pacific-Division rival Los Angeles.

The goal was Nolan's 26th of the season and 12th on power plays -- both NHL highs. Nolan's 51 points are second in the league, just four behind Pittsburgh's Jaromir Jagr.

"My confidence is way up. That's for sure," Nolan said. "I've had the opportunity to score in every game. Right now it seems like the puck has a chance of going in every time I touch it."

Nolan has scored 29 points in 20 games and in 10 of 11.

"He's been playing great," Damphousse said of Nolan. "It's very difficult to be as consistent as he's been. It's tough to play at that level for almost 40 games."

Both teams entered the game with three-game losing streaks. The Kings had beaten the Sharks five straight times before Wednesday night.

Though the Kings lost, coach Andy Murray thought his team was getting back on track.

"We played really solidly tonight," Murray said. "We played the kind of game we need to play to be successful, we just didn't get rewarded. Both teams had great power-play chances, and the difference was that they scored on theirs."

San Jose broke a scoreless tie when Damphousse scored his 11th goal at 10:18 of the first period after taking a pass from Marco Sturm.

The Kings tied it with 1:03 remaining in the opening period when Bryan Smolinski scored his ninth goal. Glen Murray took a shot that bounced off the pads of San Jose goalie Steve Shields, and Smolinski, who has an eight-game point-scoring streak, knocked in the loose puck.

Shields made 32 saves, while Stephane Fiset stopped 19 for the Kings.