| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis showed the
San Jose Sharks why they are among the NHL's best defensemen.
|  | | San Jose's Mike Ricci, center, pushes St. Louis netminder Roman Turek into the net as Blues defenseman Todd Reirden, left, comes in to protect his goalie. |
Pronger had a goal and an assist and MacInnis set up three goals
Tuesday night as the St. Louis Blues beat the Sharks 5-2 to extend
their unbeaten streak to seven games.
"We have the best defensemen in the league," said St. Louis'
Terry Yake. "We utilize them."
Craig Conroy also had a goal and an assist for St. Louis.
Five players scored for the Blues, who played without leading
scorer Pierre Turgeon, who was out with the flu.
The unbeaten stretch is St. Louis' longest of the season.
Stephane Matteau scored for the Sharks eight seconds in, a team
record for the quickest goal. San Jose, winless in three games,
fell under .500 for the first time this season.
"I was surprised it happened so quick. It was a slap in the
face for us," Pronger said. "We got things going from there. We
played real stingy and didn't allow too many shots. We kept the
puck in their end, created some turnovers and the next thing you
know it's in the net."
The Sharks scored when Marco Sturm picked up a turnover in the
middle and passed to Matteau on the right side. Matteau slipped the
puck past goalie Roman Turek, who has never lost to the Sharks in
seven (6-0-1) career appearances. Turek recorded 20 saves.
"He made some big saves to keep the lead for us," Pronger
said. "We were able to build on that."
The Blues, who have won nine of their last 13 road games,
responded a little more than a minute later when Yake, in the slot, took a
pass from Conroy and beat Steve Shields.
"It was an awful start but we came back with the equalizer real
quick," Blues coach Joel Quenneville said. "We did a lot with the
puck out there. That's as good a game as we've played all year."
St. Louis added a power-play goal 4:38 into the game when
MacInnis' slap shot from the blue line deflected off the stick of Scott Young and past Shields.
Pronger scored a power-play goal, with an assist from MacInnis,
18 seconds into the second period. Conroy's goal at 3:35 knocked
Shields from the game.
"I didn't make a big enough effort to get a look at the puck,"
said Shields. "We came out flat in the second and I didn't come up
with enough saves when the game was on the line. It was all
downhill from there."
Michal Handzus received credit for a goal with 7:17 left in the
period. Sharks' goalie Evgeni Nobokov was leaving the ice on a
delayed-penalty call just as Matteau won a battle for the puck along the boards. Facing his net, Matteau played the puck back, and it slowly slid into the undefended net.
"I don't think he knew there was a penalty," Sharks' coach Darryl Sutter said. "He just poked at it."
San Jose's Alexander Korolyuk became the seventh NHL player to score on a penalty shot, in 21 chances this season, when he converted with 6:48 left in the game.
| |
ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
St. Louis Clubhouse
San Jose Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 3
Boston 2
Philadelphia 4
Carolina 3
Montreal 3
Detroit 0
New Jersey 6
Tampa Bay 5
Colorado 4
Nashville 2
Dallas 3
Edmonton 2
Ottawa 4
Los Angeles 3
St. Louis 5
San Jose 2
|
