Blues shut out Sharks 2-0

ST LOUIS, Mo. – Get used to saying the name Matt D’Agostini – the 24-year-old right wing has certainly earned his keep this year. D’Agostini scored his fifth goal of the season at the 17:41 mark of the first period in last night’s 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks.
D’Agostini has already surpassed last year’s total of four points (2 G, 2 A) in 47 games played.

On the ensuing face-off, Jamal Mayers, who spent 10 seasons with the Blues before being traded in 2008, dropped the gloves with Brad Winchester in what was a brief, but fierce bout. Both players landed some solid punches as both tried to set a tone for each team.
The Blues power play has suffered this season, and it continued through the first period of Thursday night’s game. The Blues had three opportunities and came up empty handed. The Sharks would wind up having more quality scoring chances short handed than the Blues did on the power play. On the night, the Blues went 0-6 on the power play.
A scary moment occurred 5:29 into the second period when Joe Thornton delivered a shoulder hit to the head of the Blues’ David Perron. The hit caught Perron on the chin and left him motionless on the ice for a few moments. That immediately raised concerns about a concussion to the 22-year old.
Tempers quickly flared and Alex Pietrangelo, who is not known for fighting, squared off with Logan Coture of the San Jose Sharks after the hit on Perron. The hit earned Thornton a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. Blues announcer and former player Kelly Chase did not condone the hit that Thornton put on Perron; he instead suggested that it wasn’t Thornton’s intent, rather that the hit was an accident.
Not quite 10 minutes after the collision, Perron scored the second and final goal against Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi. Niemi is in his first season with the Sharks. He won all 16 playoff games with the Chicago Blackhawks on their way to winning the Stanley Cup last season. The Blackhawks did not pick up Niemi’s arbitration and he signed with the Sharks late this summer.
On the other end of the ice, Jaraslov Halak turned away all 25 San Jose shots, including a pair of short-handed breakaway opportunities. Halak now has three shutouts this year and continues to improve on his 1.71 GAA from October.
St. Louis’ victory moved them to 7-1-2 (16pts) and vaulted them to the top of the Central Division. In addition, they currently sit second in the Western Conference behind the Los Angeles Kings with two less games played than the Conference leader.
Their 6-0-0 start at Scottrade Center is the best home record in the league and has extended their franchise best home winning streak to 12 games. Historically, the Blues are off to their second best 10-game start in franchise history, only their 8-1-1 (17pts) start in 2002-03 has been better.
The Blues have a night off before taking on the Boston Bruins for the first time this season at the TD Garden on Saturday night.
Contact the author at roger.nebelsick@prohockeynews.com