Blues fall to the hottest road team in the Western Conference. Lose ground on Chicago and Dallas in the standings

Brian Elliott watches the play at the side of the net (photo/NHL.com)

The San Jose Sharks are just fine on enemy frozen ponds.  The Sharks (27-19-4) improved to a Western Conference-leading 17-7-2 away from home and the Blues fell as their latest victim, 3-1 on Thursday night Scottrade Center.

Somehow the Blues are keeping their head above water despite averaging just one goal per game over their last five games in which they’ve gone 2-2-1. Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester scored and Brian Elliott made 29 saves.

“Today, the first period was the best period we played in a long time,” Hitchcock said after his team had 13 shots. “It was a great period, and then we got away from it in the second and gave them the momentum. We funneled pucks at the net, we put shots at [Jones’] feet, we had lots of scoring chances close at the net, and then we got frustrated and started making plays rather than continuing with that program and so we ended up with lot of zone time but mostly playing sideways rather than that attack mode that we did in the first period.”

Joonas Donskoi and Joe Thornton scored 3:20 apart in the second period to put San Jose up 2-0.  Bouwmeester’s goal cut the deficit, but Matt Nieto scored late in the third period for the final tally.