Sunk Sharks

Columbus shocks San Jose as Knutsen scores hat trick

Columbus' Espen Knutsen advances the puck after stealing it from San Jose's Mike Ricci. AP

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The power-play unit got all the credit.

Espen Knutsen had his first career three-goal game and added an assist as the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the San Jose Sharks 6-2 Thursday night.

The Blue Jackets entered the contest with 96 goals scored, fewest in the league. They finished with their highest scoring game of the season.

"I thought our power play tonight was very effective against a very good penalty killing team -- one of the best in the league -- and that was probably the difference in the game," Columbus coach Dave King said.

Columbus' four power-play goals and six goals at Nationwide Arena tied franchise records.

"The power play was just amazing tonight," Blue Jackets goaltender Ron Tugnutt said. "We moved the puck around and created a lot of good opportunities."

Mike Sillinger tied a career high with four points on two goals and two assists, and Grant Marshall and Ray Whitney each had two assists for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a three-game losing streak and two game skid at home.

Tyler Wright also scored for Columbus.

The Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov stopped 21 of 24 shots before being replaced by Mikka Kiprusoff, who made three saves on six shots, late in the second period.

San Jose is 3-2-1 in their last six.

With San Jose's Todd Harvey and Gary Suter in the penalty box, Knutsen followed Whitney's rebound shot and lifted a shot over Nabokov from the edge of the crease at 10:42 for a 1-0 Columbus lead.

"The last 10 games or so I've been playing pretty well," Knutsen said. "I feel pretty good out on the ice, hopefully I can continue to play up to that level."

On another first-period power play, Knutsen slid a centering pass from the right half boards to Sillinger, who wristed a shot from the high slot over Nabokov's right shoulder at 15:07, for his 12th goal of the season. Brett Harkins, who has 10 power-play assists since being recalled from Syracuse, also assisted.

"We seem to be on a roll with our power play," Sillinger said. "The guys are finding the puck and creating a lot of chances."

The Sharks, who tied the Red Wings 2-2 in Detroit Wednesday night behind Kiprusoff, looked sluggish and were outshot 15-4 in the opening period.

"We were very unprepared tonight," San Jose coach Darryl Sutter said. "It looked like a lot of our older guys ran out of gas early in the game."

San Jose's Stephane Matteau cut the Blue Jackets' lead to 2-1 with a short-handed goal at 10:58 of the second period, beating Tugnutt with a slap shot from the crease.

Knutsen countered three minutes later with his second power-play goal of the night to make it 3-1 at 14:42 of the second.

Wright made it 4-1 at 17:16, beating Kiprusoff between the pads with a slap shot from the right circle for the first even-strength goal of the game.

"I just think tonight it really looked like we had an edge in our game," King said.

Knutsen deked Kiprusoff with a backhand move at 1:46 of the third period to give Columbus a 5-1 lead.

The hat trick was the fourth in the Blue Jackets' two-year history and first since Tyler Wright's on March 16, 2001, a 3-0 win at Atlanta.

"It was terrific to see him score three goals," King said. "He's played so well the past month."

On a night with plenty of stars, the fans let Knutsen know that he was the headline act after his third goal as hats littered the ice.

"I scored a hat trick in Europe once but never saw any hats," the center from Norway said.

Damphousse scored the Sharks' second short-handed goal of the night and the team's league-leading 13th short-handed goal at 11:35 to make it 5-2. Sillinger capped the scoring at 18:50 with a backhander on a power-play.

"We're just getting some breaks and doing the right things out there right now," Sillinger said.

Tugnutt finished with 20 saves.

Notes: Knutsen's two power-play goals ties the Columbus record shared by Steve Heinze (twice last season) and by Grant Marshall earlier this season. ... The three power-play goals are the most San Jose has allowed this season. ... Columbus rookie D Rostislav Klesla (shoulder) and F David Vyborny (knee) sustained second-period injuries and did not return. ... The announced attendance of 18,136 was the Blue Jackets' 41 consecutive sellout. ... Columbus is 7-2-2-0 when leading after the first period and 11-0-3-0 when leading after two. ... The two short-handed goals are the most the Blue Jackets have allowed in a game. ... Columbus had three, two-man advantages. ... San Jose has the second most road points (30) in the Western Conference.

 

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