SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Winning away from home is becoming a St. Louis Blues' trademark.

Stephane Richer and Chris Pronger scored second-period goals as the Blues broke a tie to beat San Jose 4-1 on Wednesday night for their team-record ninth straight victory on the road.

	Blues goalie Roman Turek made 23 saves, allowing the Sharks' only goal in the second period.

The streak is one shy of the Buffalo Sabres' NHL record set in 1983-84 and three better than the Blues' previous club record, achieved last season.

"It's scary when you think about it," St. Louis center Craig Conroy said. "When you look at the numbers, usually just being .500 on the road is a great record.

"Nine in a row is amazing when you think about it. But you don't want to wake up. You want to keep quiet, go about your business and hope this thing keeps going for you."

Scott Young added an empty-net score after the Sharks pulled their goalie in the final minute. Michal Handzus also had a first-period goal for St. Louis, which improved its overall road record to 21-8-2, best in the league. Pavol Demitra assisted on two of the goals.

Roman Turek, who has been in goal for the nine straight road victories, had 23 saves for his career-high 32nd win of the year.

"He made some huge saves to keep them at zero in the first period," Conroy said. "It was kind of a flukey goal that they got."

The Sharks, clinging to the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, had hoped for a better start to a franchise record-tying nine-game homestand. They have lost nine of their last 12 in San Jose and failed to beat the Blues in five meetings this season, going 0-4-1.

"The only thing I can see is we have to create some good chances to score and just bury them," Sharks goalie Steve Shields said. "We're at home, and we've got to score some goals. We're not going to win with one goal. We just have to keep trying to get better every day.

"This is the crunch time of the season. Everybody has to show up every night. The guys have to be ready. I have to be ready."

San Jose also lost defenseman Gary Suter, who left after straining a knee midway through the second period, and defenseman Marcus Ragnarsson, who left in the third period after a hard check by Conroy left the San Jose player with a concussion. Linesman Wayne Bonney also left the game late in the second period after being struck by a slap shot in the rib cage area.

San Jose's lone score came on Jeff Friesen's power-play goal at 15:10 of the second period, tying it at 1.

Turek fended off the Sharks with two key saves in the third, stopping a slap shot with his glove and dropping to his knees and using his pads to block another from up close. It was the eighth straight game in which the Blues haven't allowed a third-period goal.

Richer scored the go-ahead goal for St. Louis at 6:21 of the second, beating Shields on a wraparound after getting a pass from Marty Reasoner.

The Blues added their third goal at the end of a 2-on-1 break.

The streaking Demitra drew the defender to him before passing to Pronger, who sent a slap shot over Shields' shoulder.