San Jose ends skid on Kane’s overtime goal
SAN JOSE >> Evander Kane scored 41 seconds into overtime as the Sharks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues at SAP Center.
Kane came into Blues zone on an odd-man rush and snapped a shot past Blues goalie Ville Husso for his ninth of the season as the Sharks closed their sevengame homestand with a 2-4-1 record.
Before Kane’s goal, Logan Couture and Devan Dubnyk did what they could Monday to help the Sharks get back on track.
Dubnyk finished with 24 saves and Couture scored hi s 13th goal of the season in the third period.
Dubnyk stopped 20 of 22 shots in the first two periods, including three of four in the penalty kill as the Sharks took four minor penalties, including three in the second period.
Couture’s goal came on the power play at the 7:58 mark of the third period to tie the game 2-2. An official review determined that the puck deflected off of Couture’s skate and into the net in a legal fashion. Of Couture’s 13 goals this season, six have come against the Blues.
The Sharks trailed 2-1 going into the third period.
With Kevin Labanc serving a tripping penalty, a David Perron shot from the right faceoff circle was tipped by Brayden Schenn past Dubnyk with 54 seconds
left in the second period for a 2-1 Blues lead.
Labanc was benched for the rest of the game, as John Leonard took his spot on a line with Couture and Evander Kane in the second period. Labanc finished with 10:05 in ice time.
The Sharks managed just 11 shots on Husso in the first two periods, but MarcEdouard Vlasic scored for the Sharks at the 7:00 mark of the second period to tie the game 1-1.
Forward Timo Meier missed his second straight game Monday with a lowerbody injury. Meier skated Monday morning but did not participate in pregame warmups.
With Meier out, Joachim Blichfeld was reinserted in the lineup after he served his two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Nathan MacKinnon
last week. Blichfeld, who sat out both of the games with the Vegas Golden Knights, began the game on a line with Patrick Marleau and Ryan Donato.
Blichfeld reiterated Monday morning he wasn’t intentionally trying to hurt MacKinnon. As he was skating toward the Sharks bench for a change, Blichfeld clipped MacKinnon’s shoulder and head with his
left shoulder. He was given a match penalty at the 8:08 mark of the third period, a call that was upheld after officials reviewed the play. MacKinnon left the game to get examined and did not return.
Blichfeld argued in his hearing with the NHL last week that there was no intent to injure. But in handing out the suspension, the NHL ruled that the main
point of contact from Blichfeld’s hit was MacKinnon’s head, and that contact with the head was avoidable.
“I was just trying to make a play and wanted to hit his chest and his shoulder,” Blichfeld said Monday. “Obviously, I didn’t want to hurt him and I hope he’s OK.”
MacKinnon has not played since the hit as he missed his third straight game when the Avalanche hosted the Arizona Coyotes. Colorado coach Jared Bednar said that MacKinnon is “doing great” but was not an option to play because of the league’s medical protocols.
“It’s MacKinnon, he’s a really good player and I didn’t want to hurt him,” Blichfeld said. “So it was just unfortunate and like I said, I hope he’s OK.”
“There was no intent,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said Monday of Blichfeld’s hit. “It’s good that it was only a couple games for him, and we get him back playing.”