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Thornton, Cheechoo power Sharks past Blues

Feb 14, 2007 - 6:13 AM ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo helped the San Jose Sharks build a lead that was a little too big for the St. Louis Blues to overcome.

Thornton and Cheechoo each had a goal and three assists as the Sharks posted a 6-5 victory over the Blues.

Six different players scored as the Sharks improved to 2-0 on their season-high, eight-game road trip.

"It was nice to get off to a start like that, but I think we sat back too much," Cheechoo said. "Our defense wasn't following the play and we started turning over pucks too. We kind of let our guard down and they took advantage. We have to pay attention to the details."

Mike Grier and Patrick Marleau both had a goal and an assist and Ryane Clowe and Matt Carle also tallied for the Sharks.

"We came out great but then kind of watched them," Clowe said. "We knew, since Andy Murray took over, what kind of style they play and they don't quit. We expected them to keep coming hard."

Bill Guerin had a hat trick for St. Louis, but the Blues still trailed, 6-3, after two periods. It was Guerin's seventh NHL hat trick.

"First things first. It's always the two points for the team that come before anything," Guerin said. "Scoring goals is nice but they're a lot nicer in a winning effort. We just got behind the eight ball a little too early tonight."

Keith Tkachuk and Christian Backman scored third-period goals for the Blues, who dropped to 2-5-1 in their last eight games.

"They're a good team but you can't offer it up on the platter like we did, it was too easy for them," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "Just not getting the job done when you need to."

Blues goaltender Manny Legace came into the game on a roll but did not have it against the Sharks. He allowed 26 goals and went 8-3-1 in his previous 12 starts but yielded four goals on 18 shots to the Sharks.

"I was awful," Legace said. "That's what happens when you bring your Z game against one of the top teams in the league. I just didn't make any saves for the guys to keep it close in the first."

Legace gave up a goal 39 seconds into the game and was eventually pulled and replaced by Curtis Sanford.

"It was almost too easy to get the 6-2 lead," San Jose coach Ron Wilson said. "I kept saying to the team you have to put these guys away. They're not going to go away. All the games that I've watched on TV when they have fallen behind by two or three, they've managed to do come back and I thought they'd do the same. We got a little passive in the third period."

Legace returned to the game in the third period and stopped all five shots he faced. He had to replace Sanford, who took a puck to the face while on the bench in the first period and complained of blurred vision after playing 15:20 in the second session.

"We changed Manny because we were trying to change things," Murray said. "And also Manny has played better than he played tonight."