GDT #30: Blues @ Sharks | 8:00 pm CT | FSMW, 101 ESPN
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2021 4:54 am
Season series presented by BJC Healthcare: Tied 3-3
WHAT TO WATCH
Jaden Schwartz is expected to make his return to the lineup Friday after missing 15 games with a lower-body injury. Schwartz hasn't played since Feb. 12 in Arizona.
THE SERIES SO FAR
Jan. 18: Blues 5, Sharks 4
Justin Faulk scored two goals, Mike Hoffman netted his first as a Blue and Jordan Kyrou broke a 4-4 tie in the third period with his second game-winning goal of the season.
Jan. 20: Sharks 2, Blues 1 (SO)
Martin Jones made 22 saves and four more in a shootout to help the Sharks to a 2-1 win against the Blues at Enterprise Center. Brayden Schenn scored the Blues' only goal, while Jordan Binnington made 37 saves.
Feb. 18: Blues 3, Sharks 2 (OT)
Brayden Schenn scored with 39.2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and David Perron ended the game with an overtime game-winner with one minute left. It was Perron's sixth overtime goal as a Blue. Jordan Binnington made 30 saves.
Feb. 20: Sharks 5, Blues 4
The Blues trailed 3-0 early in the second period and stormed back with four goals, one each from Brayden Schenn, Zach Sanford, Ryan O'Reilly and Jordan Kyrou, to even the score after 40 minutes. But in the third period, Logan Couture scored his second of the game to seal a 5-4 victory for San Jose at Enterprise Center.
Feb 27: Blues 7, Sharks 6
Marco Scandella scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period, in a back-and-forth game that ended with a 7-6 win for the Blues. Zach Sanford and Ryan O'Reilly each had a goal and an assist. Jordan Binnington, who was pulled in the second period, left the game but not without confrontations with the Sharks bench, Erik Karlsson and goalie Devan Dubnyk on his way out.
March 8: Sharks 3, Blues 2 (OT)
Evander Kane's goal just 41 seconds into overtime gave the Sharks a 3-2 win and sent the Blues home with a 4-0-2 record on their six-game West Coast road trip. Niko Mikkola scored his first career NHL goal in the loss, while Brayden Schenn also scored for St. Louis. Ville Husso had 17 saves.
BLUE NOTES
David Perron has five goals and five assists (10 points) in his last 10 games… Brayden Schenn has three goals and five assists (eight points) over his last nine games… Craig Berube is six wins shy of 100 as a Blue.
BOTTOM LINE: St. Louis travels to San Jose looking to stop its three-game road skid.
The Sharks are 11-13-3 against division opponents. San Jose averages 9.3 penalty minutes per game, the ninth-most in the league. Evander Kane leads the team serving 34 total minutes.
The Blues are 14-10-5 against the rest of their division. St. Louis has given up 26 power-play goals, killing 73.7% of opponent chances.
In their last meeting on March 8, San Jose won 3-2.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kane leads the Sharks with 26 points, scoring 12 goals and collecting 14 assists. Timo Meier has four goals and seven assists over the last 10 games for San Jose.
Brayden Schenn leads the Blues with 12 goals and has 24 points. Ryan O'Reilly has three goals and eight assists over the last 10 games for St. Louis.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sharks: 4-5-1, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.2 assists, 3.8 penalties and 9.9 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game with a .901 save percentage.
Blues: 4-3-3, averaging three goals, 5.2 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while allowing 3.5 goals per game with an .881 save percentage.
INJURIES: Sharks: Marcus Sorensen: day to day (covid protocol).
Blues: Carl Gunnarsson: out for season (lower body), Robert Thomas: out (thumb), Barbashev: out (lower body), MacKenzie MacEachern: out (upper body), Colton Parayko: out (upper body).
