Nylander scores twice, Tarasov stops 39 shots and Blue Jackets top Sharks 4-2
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Alexander Nylander, center, celebrates his goal against the San Jose Sharks with teammates forward Johnny Gaudreau, left, and forward Boone Jenner during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, March 16, 2024. The Blue Jackets won 4-2. Credit: AP/Paul Vernon
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Alex Nylander scored twice and added an assist, Daniil Tarasov stopped 39 shots, and the Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists, and Boone Jenner added a goal and an assist as Columbus beat the Sharks for the fourth straight time in a game between the two teams in last place in their respective conferences.
“We’ve played much better than tonight, and we didn’t win those games,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “Tonight we needed Tarasov, and he played really well.”
Fabian Zetterlund and Henry Thrun scored goals and Magnus Chrona stopped 16 shots for the Sharks, who have lost 12 of their last 13 games and have the NHL’s worst record with just 39 points. They have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
Jenner got Columbus on the board with 2:19 left in the first period, shoveling the puck under Chrona’s pads after a feed from Gaudreau.
Nylander’s score from the right circle made it 2-0 Columbus 49 seconds into the second period. He became the first Blue Jacket to score seven goals in his first 11 games with the team.
Zetterlund pulled San Jose within a goal, slipping the puck between Tarasov’s pads at 11:48 of the second period for his seventh points in the past six games. Gaudreau’s poke from the right side put Columbus back up by a pair at 15:03.
San Jose Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun (3) reaches for the puck in front of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko (86) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Credit: AP/Paul Vernon
Thrun pulled the Sharks within a goal once again at 11:42 of the third before Nylander padded the lead with an empty-netter at 18:55.
“We dug ourselves a bit of a hole in the first,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “Our start certainly wasn’t what we wanted it to be. I thought we gradually got better as the game went on and made a great push in the third period.”
Nylander’s three-point game gave him 11 points since coming to Columbus from Toronto on Feb. 23.
“It’s been a really big opportunity, and I’m really happy that they took a chance on me,” Nylander said. “It’s been going great, so we’ve just got to keep it up.”
San Jose Sharks goalie Magnus Chrona (30) stops a shot in front of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov (10) and Sharks defenseman Kyle Burroughs (4) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, March 16, 2024. Credit: AP/Paul Vernon
UP NEXT
Sharks: Visit Chicago Sunday night
Blue Jackets: Host Winnipeg Sunday night.
