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Rare power play goal sighted at
SAP Center
Mikkel Boedker propels SJ on PP
tally
It wasn't an offensive masterpiece, but the Sharks
mustered enough to knock off the St Louis Blues 2-0 at SAP Center on Thursday
night. More importantly, San Jose scored a power play goal to break a franchise
worst 0-for-29 streak that saw their 3rd ranked power play fall to 16th in the
league. Mikkel Boedker scored his 13th goal of the season to provide Sa Jose
with all the offense they would need as Martin Jones recorded his 19th career
shutout.
Jones only needed to make 16 saves for the shutout, as his
teammates smothered the Blues all night. The Blues only generated 2 shots on
goal in the 3rd period. That was huge given that the two teams entered the
final frame tied 0-0. The Blues second half collapse was magnified by their
inability to generate any offensive chances in that key 3rd period.
Both teams played a defensive minded 1st period, although the Sharks did
out-shoot the Blues 9-4 in the period. San Jose controlled much of the zone
time in the period with an aggressive forecheck early in the game. St Louis
didn't record their first shot on goal until the 8 minute mark.
Joonas
Donskoi had the best scoring chance of the period when he drew the puck back
after cutting to his left around defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, but was denied
when he was tripped in front of the Blues net.
A Vince Dunn hooking
penalty at 4:58 of the 2nd period put the Sharks on the power play, which has
been nothing less than a disaster the last month. The man-advantage did little
to convince anyone that the streak will end anytime soon. The toothless special
teams unit failed to convert to extend their draught to 29 straight power play
chances without a goal.
Both teams picked up the pace in the 2nd
period, but neither could force the puck to the net for any decent scoring
chances. San Jose would out-shoot St Louis 12-10 in the period.
The
3rd period looked to be more of the same until the Blues blinked.
A
Kyle Brodziak holding the stick penalty would setup a second power play chance
for the Sharks, and they would finally get something past Jake Blues goaltender
Jake Allen. Mikkel Boedker did the honors by rifling a short feed from Joonas
Donskoi past Allen from the high slot, bagging his 13th goal of the season.
The goalless drought was the longest in the NHL since the 1958-59
Boston Bruins went 0-for-40.
Evander Kane just missed on a chance form the doorstep
with 3:58 to play when a Joe Pavelski shot bounced off Allen with the new
Sharks forward parked at the top of the crease. Kane gathered the puck and
tried to jam it past Allen, but the puck rolled off his stick blade right into
the goaltender who was flat on the ice.
The Blues were forced to pull
Allen with just under 2 minutes to play in an attempt to bag the equalizer, but
Tomas Hertl put the game out of reach with an empty-net tally at 19:45.
The win allowed the Sharks to hop-scotch the Anaheim Ducks in the
standings. The Ducks lost to Nashville 4-2 earlier in the evening. The Los
Angeles Kings kept pace with a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals, who will
visit SAP Center on Saturday afternoon in a rare matinee.
Game
Notes:
* Chris Tierney had his bell rung in the opening period when
Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo checked him into the side glass. Tierney's
head bounced off the glass, which required a trip to the locker room. The
Sharks forward returned to the game in the 2nd period.
* The Sharks
out-shot the Blues 36-16 in the game. Every Shark skater recorded a shot on
goal with the exception of forward Eric Fehr and defenseman Dylan Demelo.
* Former Sharks farm hand Carter Hutton was scheduled to start in net
for St Louis, but was scratched after sustaining an injury in the morning
skate. Jake Allen got the start for St Louis in his place.
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What did you
think of this story? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| STL |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| SJ |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
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| 3rd period - 1, SJ,
Boedker 13 (Donskoi, Demelo), 12:12, (pp). 2, SJ, Hertl 16 (Burns), 19:45,
(en). |
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| 2nd period - Dunn, STL
(hooking), 4:58. |
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| 3rd period - Hertl, SJ
(hooking), 4:12; Brodziak, STL (holding the stick), 10:30. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| STL - Allen |
35 |
34 |
| STL - empty net |
1 |
0 |
| SJ - Jones |
16 |
16 |
| SJ - empty net |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| STL |
4 |
10 |
2 |
16 |
| SJ |
9 |
12 |
15 |
36 |
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| Referees: O'Rourke,
Rooney. Linesmen: Murchison, Kovachik. |
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