Sharks Defeat Blues In Rout, Stay Unbeaten
ST. LOUIS (CBS / AP) -- Joe Thornton had a goal and three assists and Patrick Marleau had a goal and two assists and the San Jose Sharks downed the St. Louis Blues 6-2 Tuesday night.
The Sharks (6-0-0) won the matchup of unbeaten teams, but they had other concerns after the game.
The Sharks were concerned about the status of teammate Dan Boyle after the game after losing their veteran defenseman with a head injury.
Boyle was taken off on a stretcher early in the first period following a check from behind by the Blues' Maxim Lapierre, who was ejected from the game for checking from behind.
A Sharks spokesperson said Boyle was alert and responsive on the way to the hospital.
The Sharks got a goal and assist from Logan Couture.
Joe Pavelski, Tommy Wingels and Scott Hannan also scored, while Antti Niemi stopped 25 shots.
The Blues, who dropped to 4-1-0 on the season, had their 10-game regular-season home winning streak snapped as the Sharks won in dominating fashion.
Jaroslav Halak also suffered his first defeat of the season, stopping 22 shots and was replaced by Brian Elliott to start the third period. It was Elliott's first action of the season.
Vladimir Tarasenko broke Niemi's shutout with his fourth goal in as many games for the Blues. Roman Polak also scored for the Blues.
After the Boyle injury, it was a penalty-filled first period, with 79 minutes in penalties handed out.
Lapierre was ejected for a five-minute checking from behind penalty as well as fighting, as was teammate Ryan Reaves.
The Sharks also lost forward and Matt Pelech with a fighting major and game misconduct. Andrew Desjardins was originally awarded a fighting major and 10-minute game misconduct, but was changed to a 10-minute misconduct and he was able to return for the second period.
Later in the period, San Jose's Brent Burns checked the Blues' Brenden Morrow from behind into the boards, but only got a two-minute boarding penalty to the resounding boos from Blues fans.
The Sharks took a 2-0 lead on power-play scores from Couture and Pavelski just 48 seconds apart.
Both goals came from the left circle, with Couture scoring at 9:37.
The Blues trailed on home ice for the first time since April 16, 2013, a stretch of 568:47.
Pavelski one-timed his first of the season on the short side past Halak just after a 27-second two-man advantage for the Sharks expired.
The Sharks added to their lead in the second period, getting goals from Wingels and Hannan to grab a 4-0 lead.
Wingels scored on a wraparound off the skate of Barret Jackman 8:34 into the period for a 3-0 lead, and Hannan with his first of the season off a slap shot with 2:47 left in the period for a 4-0 lead.
Thornton made it 5-0 on a shot from the slot, beating Elliott 5:06 into the third period off a pass from rookie Tomas Hertl.
Tarasenko hammered home a rebound off a shot from Jaden Schwartz at 7:23 of the third period to make it a 5-1 Sharks lead. Polak's shot from the low slot with 7:32 remaining cut the Sharks' lead to 5-2.
Marleau added his fifth of the season at 17:06, the Sharks' third power-play goal of the game.
NOTES: Hertl leads the NHL in rookie scoring with nine points. ... San Jose's win was only its second in the past eight meetings with the Blues. ... The Blues' previous home regulation home loss was April 14, 2013, to Chicago. ... The Sharks lead the NHL in goals (30) and goal differential (plus-21). ... Polak's goal was his first since April 11, 2013, second in two seasons and 10th of his career.
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