Blues Beat Sharks in OT After Trading Schenn & Faulk | NHL Recap
Blues Edge Past Sharks in Overtime, Hours After Trading Captain Schenn
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Robert Thomas scored his second goal of the game 54 seconds into overtime, lifting the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday night. The win came just hours after the Blues traded captain Brayden Schenn to the New York Islanders, signaling a shift towards rebuilding for the team.
Thomas’s winning goal was a rebound off a shot by Philip Broberg, capping a strong performance for the forward who has four goals in his last three games since returning from an injury. The game was tightly contested, reflecting the emotional weight of the day’s transactions for St. Louis.
The Blues entered Friday near the bottom of the Western Conference standings and have clearly begun looking towards the future. In addition to Schenn’s departure, defenseman Justin Faulk was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. These moves left the Blues with only five healthy defensemen against the Sharks, but they managed to secure their third consecutive win.
Jimmy Snuggerud also scored for the Blues, and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves in goal. The team demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity, overcoming a late equalizer by the Sharks.
Kiefer Sherwood tied the game 2-2 for San Jose in the third period with a one-timer. Sherwood has had a notable week, scoring the game-winner against Montreal on Tuesday and subsequently signing a five-year, $28.75 million contract extension with the Sharks on Wednesday.
Macklin Celebrini also found the back of the net for San Jose, scoring his 31st goal of the season. Alex Nedeljkovic, who signed a two-year, $6 million extension earlier in the day, made 11 saves for the Sharks.
The first period featured two fights but limited scoring opportunities. Snuggerud opened the scoring for the Blues with his 11th goal of the season, and much of the period was played in the St. Louis end. The Sharks responded in the second period when Celebrini beat Binnington just after a power play expired.
St. Louis regained the lead late in the second period after Snuggerud won a puck battle with John Klingberg and set up Thomas. The Blues then held onto the lead until Sherwood’s tying goal in the third.
Blues coach Jim Montgomery acknowledged the difficulty of the day, stating, “We found a way to win again. Two games in a row with tough days for our group, and we won both of them.”
Blues forward Jake Neighbours expressed gratitude to the departing players, saying, “It was a really hard morning. That’s a position we put ourselves in. That’s the business. I just want to thank Schenn and Faulk for what they did for me and a lot of guys in this locker room. They laid out every day what it means to be a Blue.”
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky was critical of his team’s performance, stating, “We didn’t have our best tonight. Couldn’t make a play, too many odd-man rushes. Yeah, we just weren’t good enough tonight.”
The Blues will continue their road trip at Anaheim on Sunday night. The Sharks will host the New York Islanders on Saturday night.