Oshie hat trick leads Blues by Sharks, 7-2

SAN JOSE – T.J. Oshie’s third goal of the game completed a 7-2 victory for the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks at sold-out SAP Center Saturday night.
The Sharks had given up a high of five goals on four occasions this season, the last time 23 games ago. The Blues had recorded six goals five different times before exploding past the hosts.
San Jose will see the Blues again next week, playing in St. Louis on Thursday at the close of a three-game roadtrip.
Coming off a 3-0 blanking of Pacific Division-topping Anaheim Wednesday night, the Sharks grabbed a 2-1 lead over St. Louis with two goals within a 40-second stretch of the first period.
Oshie opened the game’s scoring by snapping a shot inside the left post off a feed by Alexander Steen. The Sharks regrouped on goals from Melker Karlsson and Joe Pavelski. Karlsson’s second goal of the season came off a rebound of a Barclay Goodrow shot at the 17:42 mark. Pavelski’s team-leading 20^th goal of the year was a high shot from a tough angle that soared past the mask of Blues goaltender Brian Elliott.
The Blues’ ability to score in the closing minute of both the first and second periods turned the momentum the visitors’ way.
Steen drew the Blues even with 43.1 seconds left in the opening period when he threaded a shot from the left circle by goaltender Antti Niemi.
St. Louis gained a 3-2 margin 5:32 into the second period when Oshie weaved through the San Jose defense before slapping a shot past Niemi. The Blues took a 4-2 lead into the second intermission when Kevin Shattenkirk moved into an open space above the Sharks’ crease and turned a Jaden Schwartz pass from the endboards into his seventh goal of the season with 8.6 seconds left.
 The Blues scored on three of nine shots on net in the third period. St. Louis needed five seconds of power play time to make it 5-2 on a Schwartz slapshot from the top of the slot. When Dmitrij Jaskin scored his fourth goal of the season at the 4:58 mark, Niemi’s time in net was over. Alex Stalock was beaten by Oshie’s power-play hat trick goal from the bottom of the left circle at 9:16.
Joe Thornton was held out of the line-up because of an upper-body injury, snapping a streak of 319 games for the centerman.