SAN JOSE — Defensemen have combined for 13 points during the Sharks’ five-game win streak — and not all of those points have come from Brent Burns.

While Burns ranks third in the NHL in scoring among defensemen with 26 points, other Sharks blueliners have made contributions to the offense in recent games to give San Jose a more balanced look.

Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic both scored in Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues, Matt Tennyson had the tying goal on the power play in what turned out to be a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, and Justin Braun has three assists in his last five games.

“Some weeks it’s going to be all of your forwards taking care of it, (and) some weeks the D are going to jump in,” Braun said. “As long as it’s coming from more than one area, I think that’s good.”

Braun, who signed a five-year, $19 million contract extension that will kick in after this season, is quietly having the best offensive year of his career.

Braun had 17 points in 82 games last season. After a nifty assist on Andrew Desjardins’ second-period goal against St. Louis, where Braun’s up-ice pass from the defensive zone went off the boards and right on Desjardins’ stick, Braun has 13 points in 34 games.

“The good teams get good production from their back end. It may not be goals, but it’s creating opportunities and creating momentum in the zone,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. “You can’t attack the offensive zone if you’re not coming out of your end clean, and our D-men have a big part in that.”

Braun and Vlasic’s biggest responsibility is matching up and containing the opposing team’s top line. So they have to pick their spots as to when they can be a little more aggressive with the puck on their sticks.

“You’re going against top lines, good players, and you want to go out there and shut them down,” Braun said. “I think Eddie (Vlasic) and I have done a pretty good job of that, and we take a lot of pride in that and keep doing it going forward.”

The Sharks take their streak to Anaheim on Monday night. Beginning with a 6-4 win over Anaheim on Nov. 29, San Jose has won nine of 10 to move into second place in the Pacific Division, seven points back of the Ducks.

Injured forwards Matt Nieto and Tyler Kennedy skated in Sunday’s optional practice. Nieto, out with an ankle injury, is the closer of the two to returning but will not play against the Ducks. “We’ll have to see after Christmas where he’s at,” McLellan said of Nieto.

McLellan did not say whether he would start Antti Niemi or Alex Stalock in goal against Anaheim. Niemi, who has made three straight starts, has been in goal for both of San Jose’s wins over Anaheim this season.