Sharks 6, Blue Jackets 0
Captain Joe Thornton registered two goals and an assist while Antti Niemi made 30 saves as the San Jose Sharks scored twice in each period en route to a 6-0 victory over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Michal Handzus, Jamie McGinn and Joe Pavelski recorded a goal and an assist apiece and Patrick Marleau also scored for San Jose, which has won four straight meetings with Columbus.
Marleau buried a rebound less than eight minutes into the game and Thornton converted his own rebound following a turnover 1:50 later for a 2-0 lead.
Pavelski recorded his 18th goal five minutes into the second period when his one-timer from the right point during a power play deflected off Derek MacKenzie and past Steve Mason. McGinn made it 4-0 with just over three minutes remaining as he knocked in a rebound at the bottom of the left faceoff circle.
Handzus put his own rebound past Mason at 1:54 of the third and Thornton converted a cross-slot pass from Pavelski nine minutes later to cap his second two-goal performance of the season.
Niemi turned aside 11 shots in the first period, 12 in the second and seven in the third for his second straight shutout. It was his 17th career blanking and fourth overall this season.
Mason made 37 saves for the Blue Jackets, who fell to 0-3-1 on their six-game road trip. Columbus has lost five in a row overall and six straight away from home.