Sharks Go Past Kings : Hockey: Irbe’s 2-0 shutout puts San Jose in No. 8 spot in West.

Arturs Irbe shut out the Kings for the second time this season, stopping 22 shots Sunday as the San Jose Sharks took over the eighth Western Conference playoff spot with a 2-0 victory.

Jeff Odgers and Sergei Makarov scored for the Sharks, who have 34 points--two less than seventh-place Dallas. The Kings have 33 and Winnipeg 32. Both California teams have nine games left. San Jose will play six at home, the Kings four.

Odgers, a defenseman, scored his third goal of the season with 36 seconds left in the first period. Taking a pass from center Kevin Miller, he faked goalie Kelly Hrudey into diving to his left, then put the puck into the net around him.

The Sharks opened a two-goal lead when Makarov took a pass from Igor Larinov and scored from 10 feet in front seven minutes into the third period. It was Makarov’s sixth goal.

San Jose has won four of its last six games, while the Kings have lost four of six. The shutout was the Sharks’ fourth of the season and Irbe’s third. He also beat the Kings, 2-0, on Feb. 17.