The San Jose Sharks were seething after a controversial faceoff violation call on Patrick Marleau directly led to the St. Louis Blues' game-winning goal Saturday night.

Here's the play. Marleau was handed a two-minute minor with the score 2-2 early in the third period.

The Blues buried their goal 12 seconds into the ensuing man advantage and didn't relinquish the lead.

"There's really no explanation for it there," head coach Bob Boughner said, according to Alex Espinoza of NBCSN. "Just a horrible call. I guess he spun too early or something? I don't know. I've watched it three times. It's completely fine. It's Patty Marleau by the way. The guy's going to set Gordie Howe's (games played) record and you threw him in the box and it affected the whole game. Just use your head.

"It's frustrating for me and I don't want to say the wrong thing. But what went on there was a travesty."

Sharks netminder Devan Dubnyk didn't hold back either.

"It's embarrassing," he said. "It's Mickey Mouse. I don't care if you want to say 'follow the rule book.' It's completely ridiculous to make a call like that in a 2-2 hockey game in the third period in the middle of the season. I don't know what to say. It's incredible."

The Blues added two more goals in the third period to claim a 5-2 victory. San Jose sits 11 points back of St. Louis for the final playoff spot in the West Division after the loss.

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Thomas Hickey opened up about his difficult journey after playing his first NHL game in almost two years Saturday night.

The New York Islanders defenseman collected a pair of assists in a 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. He suited up for the first time since May 3, 2019.

Injuries, including a concussion, had derailed his career. In addition, his brother Dan died of cancer at the age of 33 last March.

"It meant everything, really," Hickey said when asked about being a key part of Saturday's win. "Just to be with the guys was big, and then to chip in was huge. (It was) a very emotional night. (I'm) really happy with the effort of the guys and it's nice to come back and get a win. That's the biggest thing, and (I) just (have) a lot of good feelings right now."

Hickey added he dealt with doubt about whether he would ever get an opportunity to play in the NHL again.

"You just don't know," he said. "There are so many factors that go into it, so you just don't know when your time's going to come, and every day that goes by you feel like maybe it's a bit further away. But that's not always reality, it's just how you feel, so that was the doubt, but I believe in myself and I've reinforced that, so I was prepared for that."

The 32-year-old said he felt great about being back on the ice and having another chance to make his family proud.

"It's the best feeling I've had in a long time. Obviously, personally and professionally, it's been tough and there are people that you want to do things for to make them happy because we've had a really rough go.

"I've been thinking about my brother and I've always wanted to just do good things while he was battling and fighting and to show him that (I) can play for him. And I think that just carries over even though he's not with us. That's in the back of your mind, so those are the things you're thinking about, and it's been a tough road, but I feel like it's worth that wait."

Hickey was the Islanders' nominee for the Masterton Trophy - awarded to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey" - last June.

He's spent his entire seven-year career with the Islanders, who claimed him off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings in 2013.

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Rust certainly wasn't a factor for Jack Campbell after a long layoff.

The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender turned aside all 31 shots he faced in a 2-0 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

It was Campbell's first appearance since Feb. 27, when he blanked the Edmonton Oilers with a 30-save effort. The 29-year-old had been limited to three games in 2021 due to injuries, but he's excelled when healthy since Toronto acquired him in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in February 2020.

Campbell last allowed a goal in the third period of the Maple Leafs' 3-2 win over the Flames on Jan. 24, though he's suited up for only three games in that span.

Saturday's game was the second of a back-to-back against Calgary. Frederik Andersen allowed four goals on 18 shots in a 4-3 Toronto loss Friday, and the Danish puck-stopper didn't dress for the rematch.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame Andersen didn't back Campbell up due to injury, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Andersen admitted earlier in the week he hasn't been 100% healthy since he returned from a four-game absence earlier this month.

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St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will miss the remainder of the campaign with a torn ACL in his left knee, the team announced Saturday.

Sundqvist suffered the injury during the first period of Friday's victory against the San Jose Sharks.

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Sundqvist will require surgery and will be re-evaluated at training camp for the start of next season.

The 26-year-old has totaled four goals and five assists in 28 games this season while averaging 15:09 minutes of ice time.

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New York Rangers defenseman Jack Johnson will miss the remainder of the campaign after undergoing core muscle repair surgery, the team announced Saturday.

The Rangers inked Johnson to a one-year, $1.15-million deal during the offseason after the Pittsburgh Penguins bought out his previous contract.

Johnson, 34, had a limited role with the Rangers, averaging a career-low 16:58 per game while only finding his way into the lineup 13 times. He finishes the season with one goal and no assists.

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Drew Doughty has done his best to let his game do the talking this season.

The Los Angeles Kings defenseman, who's one of this generation's most outspoken players, admitted he's not proud of his past outbursts and has made an effort to limit them.

"I worked on it," Doughty said Saturday, according to The Athletic's Lisa Dillman. "I knew I needed to stop doing it. I knew it was going to hurt me in the long run, made me look bad. It wasn't something that I want young kids to look up to. I was embarrassed by it. It's definitely something I've been fixing."

It's been a rough stretch for Doughty and the Kings since winning two Stanley Cups (2012, 2014) last decade. They've missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, and Doughty hasn't been shy in venting his frustrations along the way.

Doughty's newfound demeanor has paid off so far this season. He ranks fifth among blue-liners in goals (seven), sixth in points (25), and second among all players in average ice time (26:21) through 29 games.

The 31-year-old says his reserved approach hasn't made him any less motivated, which is something he's struggled with in previous years.

"I haven't lost my competitive spirit," Doughty added. "There were times in the last couple of seasons where I was like, 'Man, I'm not mentally passionate enough.'"

Doughty has helped keep the Kings in the postseason mix just past the midway mark of the campaign. Los Angeles sits fifth in the West Division and five points back of a playoff spot entering Saturday's action.

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The Buffalo Sabres traded netminder Jonas Johansson to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick, the team announced Saturday.

Johansson, 25, has yet to record a win this season and owns an .884 save percentage and a 3.79 goals-against average over seven appearances.

The Avalanche's goaltending depth chart has been depleted this campaign, with backup Pavel Francouz on the long-term injured reserve. Hunter Miska, who was demoted to the AHL on Friday, has posted an .838 save percentage over five starts.

Philipp Grubauer has earned 17 of Colorado's 18 wins this season, and he leads all netminders in minutes played (1420:06) entering Saturday's action.

The Sabres, meanwhile, have lost 13 straight contests and sit last in the league.

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