Blues use shootout to defeat Sharks, end slide at five

Jordan Binnington made 30 saves to help the St. Louis Blues win for the first time in six games, 2-1 in a shootout against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center in San Jose on Friday.

"We [had] a couple meetings with the coaches and the team and obviously things weren't working well," Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko said. "We thought that [there was] only one way to get back to winning games, we need to start with the simple plays, trust in our system we have and play the hockey that makes us successful. We've been known as a defensive team where everybody helps each other. I think today was a way better game and good step forward."
Tyler Bozak scored shorthanded for the Blues (15-10-5), who were 0-2-3 in their past five games. Brayden Schenn and Tarasenko scored in the shootout.
Tarasenko scored the deciding shootout goal in the third round when he skated in from right to left and waited out Sharks goalie Martin Jones before whipping a wrist shot from a sharp angle. Binnington then made a save on Kevin Labanc to end it.
"We did it the right way," Binnington said. "We played a very strong game. We were connected out there, supporting each other. Tracking in the D-zone was strong, breakouts were pretty smooth. We've just got to build off this and carry it into tomorrow."
Ryan Donato scored, and Jones made 33 saves for the Sharks (11-13-4), who have lost three straight after winning three in a row. Logan Couture scored in the shootout.
"It's definitely tough," Donato said. "It was a very winnable game. Good teams in this league find a way to hold a lead and close it. Obviously there were some good things we could take out of it, but we have tomorrow, so we can't get too down about it."
St. Louis and San Jose will play here again Saturday in the second game of the back-to-back set.
Donato gave the Sharks a 1-0 lead on a snap shot from the slot at 15:08 of the second period on an odd-man rush eight seconds after a Blues power play expired.
Bozak tied it 1-1 at 6:22 of the third period when Kyle Clifford's shot from a sharp angle caromed off Bozak's leg. It was his first goal of the season in his second game after missing 21 games with a concussion.
"I think I have been lucky enough to get a few on my birthday," said Bozak, who turned 35. "It was nice to get a fortunate bounce like that. ... 'Cliffy' made a great play to come out with me in the corner there and helped me pick up that puck and just throw it towards the net."

The Sharks had a chance to win it in overtime when the Blues were called for too many men on the ice, but couldn't convert on the power play.
"Part of the 60 minutes is our special teams as well, and I thought our PK was solid, but our power play didn't get the job done," Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. "We had an opportunity to win it in overtime and we didn't, and we gave up a shorty. It's as simple as that."
Blues center Oskar Sundqvist sustained a lower-body injury with 1:07 left in the first period when he collided with Clifford in front of the San Jose goal.
Blues coach Craig Berube had no further update other than Sundqvist will get an MRI and they'll know more Saturday.
NOTES: St. Louis forward Jaden Schwartz had four shots on goal and blocked four shots playing 22:55 after missing 15 games with an upper-body injury. … The Blues are 7-1-2 in California this season, the fourth team in NHL history to win at least seven road games there. (Dallas Stars, 8 wins in 12 games, 2006-07; Phoenix Coyotes, 7 in 12, 2007-08; Stars, 7 in 9, 1998-99). … St. Jose forward Marcus Sorensen had an assist playing 12:43 after being scratched the past eight games. … Sharks forward Matt Nieto played his 500th NHL game. … Jones was 4-0 and allowed only one goal on 12 shootout attempts this season before getting scored on twice Friday. … This was the fourth game between St. Louis and San Jose that went to overtime or a shootout this season. The Sharks won 2-1 in a shootout Jan. 20 and 3-2 in OT March 8. The Blues won 3-2 in OT Feb. 18.