NHL Game Summary - Chicago at San Jose

San Jose, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Antti Niemi stopped 31 shots as the San Jose Sharks blanked the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 on Saturday night.

Joe Thornton and Melker Karlsson each had a goal and one assist for the Sharks, who have won three straight and improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven games.

Antti Raanta made 18 saves for Chicago, which dropped two of three games in California. The Blackhawks were coming off Friday's 4-1 win over Anaheim after beginning the stretch with Wednesday's 4-3 loss to Los Angeles.

Karlsson charged the crease to pounce on the rebound of a Matt Irwin shot. Raanta made another save on Karlsson, who sent the puck out front from the left side of the net. Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith tried to swat the puck away from Joe Pavelski and wound up putting it into an open net at 5:09 of the first period.

Late in the second period with the Sharks on a power play, Niemi made a sequence of saves on Jonathan Toews. The San Jose goaltender received some help from Brent Burns in preserving the lead.

"He made some very tough saves in succession," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said about Niemi.

Thornton scored an empty-net goal with 1:10 left in the third period as the Sharks posted their sixth win in the last seven home meetings with the Blackhawks.

"It was one of those games where you felt something was going to come eventually and it didn't happen," said Chicago coach Joel Quenneville.