Sharks halt skid with shutout win over Blues

Mackenzie Blackwood made 35 saves for his 10th career shutout as the visiting San Jose Sharks blanked the St. Louis Blues 4-0 Saturday to snap their nine-game losing streak.

Filip Zadina, Mikael Granlund, Luke Kunin and Jan Ruuta scored for the Sharks (17-48-8, 42 points), who won for just the second time in their last 20 games.

Joel Hofer made 16 saves for the Blues (39-31-4, 82 points), who suffered just their second regulation loss in 10 games.

St. Louis outshot the Sharks 11-3 during the scoreless first period but couldn’t convert some terrific scoring chances.

Blackwood denied Blues defenseman Colton Parayko on a wide-open shot from the low slot, then he stayed patient to stop Brayden Schenn’s backhand shot on a clean break-in.

The Sharks stepped up the play in the second period, outshooting the Blues 12-3 while taking a 3-0 lead.

Hofer stopped Nico Strum’s shot off the left wing on a 2-on-1 break, then he got a piece of Zadina’s tip driving to the net.

But Zadina broke through with 11:30 left in the period. He stole the puck from Blues winger Zachary Bolduc, then he moved in front of the net and fired a turnaround shot into the short side.

Granlund made it 2-0 with 7:55 left in the period. He set up Fabian Zetterlund’s shot from the slot, then he crashed the net to score when the puck rebounded to him off the crossbar.

Kunin increased the lead to 3-0 by capitalizing a good bounce. When a San Jose dump-in caromed off the glass to the front of the net, Kunin stepped in to bury that long rebound.

The Blues tried to respond in the third period. Blackwood stopped Bolduc’s blast off right wing and Sammy Blais’ tip driving to the front of the net.

With Hofer off the ice for an extra attacker, Rutta scored an empty-net goal with a length-of-the ice shot.

–Field Level Media

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