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  Saturday, Nov. 20 8:00pm ET
Blues tie up West-leading Sharks
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Blues goalie Roman Turek isn't getting quite enough action to suit him.

Turek made 19 saves Saturday night to help the Blues extend their unbeaten streak to five games with a 1-1 tie against the San Jose Sharks.

Mike Vernon
Sharks goalie Mike Vernon gives up a rebound to St. Louis' Michal Handzus, who promptly scored on the play.
"It looks like an easy game for me, but I don't like those games where I have three saves a period," Turek said. "I like more work. That is my job and if I start in the first period, my confidence gets bigger."

Unfortunately for Turek, he faced only four shots in the first period. He was busy in the second when Niklas Sundstrom scored the only goal for San Jose. But then the Blues closed the door, allowing only three shots in the third period and two in overtime.

Blues coach Joel Quenneville does not share his goalie's pain.

"I don't want to disappoint him, but I think just the opposite," Quenneville said with a smile.

The way Quenneville sees it, the formula is working. Turek is 3-0-2 during the Blues' streak. After dropping their first two games at Kiel Center, the Blues are 6-1-2 at home.

"This was a nice point for us tonight," Turek said.

San Jose felt the same way.

"Tonight, we didn't have a great first period and they took it to us," Sharks star Owen Nolan said. "We settled down and played solid in the period and managed to get one past him."

Michal Handzus scored his ninth goal of the season for the Blues' only goal. Handzus had only four goals and 16 points in 66 games last season. He has nine goals and 15 points in 20 games this season.

"The Handzus line was the best line on the ice tonight," San Jose coach Darryl Sutter said.

Mike Vernon stopped 24 shots for the Sharks, who are undefeated in their last three.

St. Louis played most of the game without leading scorer Pierre Turgeon, who left because of back spasms in the second period and did not return. His status was not immediately known.

The Blues scored 5:43 into the game when Lubos Bartecko centered the puck to Handzus from the right boards. Vernon stopped Handzus' initial shot, but Handzus batted in his own rebound.

It stayed that way until Sundstrom tied it at 11:53 of the second. Brad Stuart started the play by keeping the puck in at the right point and finding Patrick Marleau in the slot. Marleau passed down low to Sundstrom, who slid his fourth goal under Turek.

Neither team generated much offense in the third period, as St. Louis outshot the Sharks 8-3. The Blues' Pavol Demitra had the best scoring opportunity, but Vernon made a glove save on his wrist shot from the high slot.

 


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