Alex Pietrangelo's tie-breaking goal midway through the third period was the game-winner, and Jaden Schwartz scored once in a three-point game as the visiting St. Louis Blues beat the San Jose Sharks 5-2 on Saturday night.
Goaltender Jake Allen made 34 saves for the Western Conference-leading Blues, who have won five straight games.
On the winning goal, Pietrangelo created a turnover behind his net, sped away for a pass that created a two-on-one rush, elected to shoot and ripped a top-corner shot at the 11:07 mark of the third period. It was his eighth goal of the season.
Pietrangelo and Ryan O'Reilly added late empty-net goals to round out the scoring.
After a scoreless first period, the clubs went back and forth in a four-goal second. San Jose's Brent Burns opened the scoring 42 seconds into the frame with a power-play tally, blasting a point shot home to snap a 16-game goal drought, only to see the visitors take the lead.
First, Jordan Kyrou tied the game at the 2:04 mark when he grabbed a loose puck just outside the blue line, zipped through the defenders and slipped a backhander into the net for his second goal of the season.
Then Schwartz hit the 10-goal mark when he put the Blues up 2-1. Schwartz was at the side of the net while St. Louis had a man advantage and redirected Brayden Schenn's cross-ice pass at 5:30 of the period. Schenn collected his 400th career point in a two-assist outing.
But Stefan Noesen, playing his first game for the Sharks since being claimed off waivers, tallied to tie the game 2-2 with 4:24 left in the period. Noesen was sprung by a long pass and unloaded a rocket of a shot from the right face-off dot for his second goal of the year.
Goalie Martin Jones stopped 23 shots for the Sharks, who have dropped two straight games and have just one win in their last nine outings (1-7-1).
--Field Level Media
St. Louis | San Jose | |
Jaden Schwartz 3 | Points | Brent Burns 2 |
Alex Pietrangelo 2 | Goals | Brent Burns 1 |
Jaden Schwartz 2 | Assists | Brent Burns 1 |
Jaden Schwartz 1 | Power Play Goals | Brent Burns 1 |
Ryan O'Reilly 1 | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Jake Allen .944 | Save Percentage | Martin Jones .885 |
Jake Allen 34 | Saves | Martin Jones 23 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
St. Louis | 28 | 5 | 1-2 | 2-3 | 6 | 31 |
San Jose | 36 | 2 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 4 | 27 |