That wasn't pretty.
The Blue Jackets didn't create much offensively and struggled to stop the Sharks' attack, leading to a 3-1 loss in San Jose on Thursday night.
In the first period, the Sharks carried most of the play, but the teams headed to their locker rooms knotted at zero apiece after 20 minutes. Shots on goal in the period were 15-12, San Jose.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLUE JACKETS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| SHARKS | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
The second period saw the Sharks capitalize on their momentum. Kevin Labanc (10) made it 1-0 after a goalmouth scramble just over one minute into the period, and Joe Thornton (2) scored a power play goal 12 minutes later to give San Jose a 2-0 lead.
Before the period ended, Sonny Milano (5) took advantage of a turnover, made a nice move, and finished past Aaron Dell to get the Blue Jackets within one goal, at 2-1.
So smooth #CBJ | @27SMiLano pic.twitter.com/WMTVmz6Ka2
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 10, 2020
The third period saw the Sharks regain a two-goal cushion thanks to a Brent Burns backhand (8). The Blue Jackets made a bit of a push late, but the Sharks dealt with it, limiting chances like they did all game. Dell played well, but he didn't have many difficult saves to make.
Injury Update
Cam Atkinson remains out of the lineup due to a high-ankle sprain, but of the many injured Blue Jackets, he appears closest to a return. He's been skating and also joined the team for this trip road but hasn't played in any of the three games.
Next Up
On Saturday night, the Blue Jackets will head to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights. Puck drop is slated for 10:00 p.m. EST.
