Blues Cruise Past Sharks With Offensive Explosion

Graphics by Ryan Leopando – Arch City Sports

SAP Center, San Jose, California – The St. Louis Blues used a much needed offensive explosion to beat the San Jose Sharks tonight 7-2 at the Shark Tank. T.J. Oshie scored his 100th goal of his career and his second career hat trick en route to the victory as Brian Elliot recorded 18 saves.

The Blues dominated the first period with 16 shots on goal to the Sharks’ 8. David Backes nearly put the Blues on the board midway through the period but the puck somehow didn’t find the back of the net after hitting the crossbar off a rebound from a Vladimir Tarasenko shot. But shortly after, Oshie scored his first of the night at 11:49 to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. San Jose’s Melker Karlsson tied the game off of a rebound with just under three minutes to go in the period, and it was followed less than a minute later from a bad angle shot by Joe Pavelski to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead. But with 0:43 seconds left, Alexander Steen responded with a bad angle goal of his own for his 10th of the season.

Oshie again got the scoring going in the second with his 100th career goal at 5:32 as he weaved his way in to beat Antii Niemi. Brian Elliot stood his ground and with just nine seconds left in the period, Jaden Schwartz somehow found Kevin Shattenkirk in front of the net as he was falling behind the goal to give the Blues a 4-2 lead going into the third period.

The offensive barrage continued as it was all Blues in the third. Just over a minute in and on a power play, Steen took a shot from the point after a face off win and Schwartz redirected it past Niemi. Schwartz looked very good in his return from his injury, with a total ice time of 16:29 to go along with a goal and an assist. A few minutes later, Dmitrij Jaskin slid a shot by Niemi for his fourth of the year for the unassisted goal, one that Niemi should have had. That triggered a goalie change by San Jose coach Todd McLellan, replacing Niemi with Alex Stalock. But that didn’t stop Oshie from finishing off the hat trick as he threw the puck in front of the net and it went off the back of Sharks defenseman Marc Vlasic and in to cap off the Blues scoring, his 10th of the year.

Next up the Blues will head to Phoenix and take on the Coyotes on Tuesday night.

Game Notes:

Shots On Goal: Blues 33; Sharks 20

Kevin Shattenkirk has scored in his last two games

Vladimir Tarasenko continued recording points with an assist tonight on Shattenkirk’s goal

T.J. Oshie and Alexander Steen both had four point nights, with Oshie recording an assist to go along with his hat trick and Steen with one goal and three assists

@RLeopando