San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen can’t stop a loose puck that gets on top of him trying to defend against the St Louis Blues offense at the Enterprise Center in St Louis on Thu Nov 10, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Matthew Harrington

The San Jose Sharks couldn’t continue the St. Louis Blues snide Thursday night, dropping a 5-3 loss in the Show Me State to help the Blues snap an 8-game losing streak. The big guns Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture scored for the Sharks and Erik Karlsson picked up a pair of assists but Calle Rosen broke a 3-3 tie in the third and Noel Acciari scored an empty-netter for the Blues victory and a fifth-straight San Jose loss. St. Louis (4-8-0) is now just one point back of San Jose for the last spot in the Western Conference.

San Jose (3-9-3) started off slowly, giving up a Torey Krug goal just 2:30 into the game but responded with a goal with 3:41 left in the period. The goal is credited to Timo Meier in the official scorecard, but was an own-goal by Justin Faulk on a point shot from Erik Karlsson. The puck bounced around and could credibly have been credited to Karlsson, Meier or Tomas Hertl. Regardless, it tied the game 1-1 after one period.

Jordan Kyrou got lost in Sharks coverage for an easy backdoor power play goal 6:59 into the second period for a 2-1 lead, but Hertl provided the equalizer after Kevin Labanc’s off angle shot rebounded off Jordan Binnington in the Blues net for a perfect slot chance. Hertl converted on it for a 2-all hockey game with 6:55 left in the period.

The Blues wouldn’t let the period play out like the first, scoring with 1:52 left in the middle stanza on Brandon Saad’s first goal of the year. The Sharks captain Logan Couture knotted the game at 3-3 1:26 into the third when Karlsson flicked a puck on net from the boards and Couture tipped it past Binnington, one of three goals on 30 Sharks shots. Rosen scored the winner on a rare point shot goal 8:20 into the period. Acciari scored the empty netter with 19 seconds left. Kaapo Kahkohnen made 28 saves on 32 shots in the loss.

The Sharks won’t have long to ruminate on the loss against the current cellar dweller. They travel to Dallas to face the Stars Friday in the Big D. The Stars are currently second in the Central Division and could see their superstar goalie Jake Oettinger return from injury to face team Teal.