Rookie Macklin Celebrini scored twice and earned an assist to lead the visiting San Jose Sharks past the St. Louis Blues 4-3 on Thursday.
Jake Walman had a goal and an assist, Tyler Toffoli also scored and Nikolai Kovalenko notched three assists as the Sharks snapped a three-game losing streak.
Alexandar Georgiev made 17 saves to win his Sharks debut. He and Kovalenko arrived from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade for Mackenzie Blackwood and Givani Smith on Monday.
Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who took just their second regulation loss in eight games (5-2-1) since Jim Montgomery took over as coach.
Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou also scored for St. Louis, and Jordan Binnington made 27 saves.
Toffoli put the Sharks up just 1:21 into the game. He converted a rebound during the goalmouth scramble that followed Binnington’s turnover behind his net.
Neighbours leveled the game 1-1 midway through the first period. He took an outlet pass from Ryan Suter, skated up the left wing and scored off a toe-drag move to the middle.
Celebrini put the Sharks ahead 5:43 into the second period. He raced up the left wing and tried to make a cross-ice pass to Toffoli. Blues defenseman Colton Parayko blocked the pass while sliding, but the puck came back to Celebrini — who caught Binnington playing the pass.
The Sharks closed the second period with a power play that produced heavy pressure. Celebrini capped the flurry by scoring from the left faceoff dot off a pass from Mikael Granlund at 19:53 for a 3-1 lead.
Schenn cut the deficit in half by converting a weak-side rebound at 5:34 of the third period after Mathew Kessel shot the puck into heavy traffic.
However, 27 seconds later, Walman increased the Sharks’ lead to 4-2 by scoring from left wing off a two-on-one pass from Kovalenko.
Kyrou cut the lead to one goal again by driving to the left post and scoring off a touch pass from Pavel Buchnevich at 7:57.
With Binnington pulled for an extra attacker, Buchnevich hit the left post in the closing seconds as St. Louis’ comeback bid fell short.
–Field Level Media