Exhausted from their travel woes, the St. Louis Blues found enough energy to rally from a three-goal deficit and beat a Central Division rival.
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The Blues allowed five goals in the first period to the Blackhawks, but battled back to win 6-5 on Wednesday night in Chicago.
The Blackhawks hadn’t scored five goals in a game this season, but they had a five-spot in the first period.
“This is the first goal I’ve seen scored where exhausted people score the goal”, coach Ken Hitchcock said. “I mean, Vlady was exhausted”.
After the club’s flight to Chicago was diverted to Milwaukee Wednesday morning due to heavy fog, it looked as if the Blues were still in a fog.
This led to, of course, 20 minutes of scoreless play, forcing the game to overtime. Left winger Alexander Steen scored twice, and center Robby Fabbri, defenseman Jay Bouwmeester and right winger David Backes each netted one goal for St. Louis (9-3-1).
Instead, the Blues stormed back in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals to tie things up.
“We gave up those chances and that’s what happens when you do”, Toews said. Just a few minutes into his second game with the Blackhaws, Dano brought Hawks fans to their feet with a gorgeous goal. Backes would end up tying the game in the second period with just 33 seconds remaining. Hitchcock said an update on Ott would also come Thursday. Guys deserve a lot of credit.
The Hawks scored at even strength, they scored on the power play, they scored across multiple lines, Andrew Shaw scored on a penalty shot and they induced two Blues goaltender changes – all before the berserk first period was over.
Chicago stretched its lead to 3-1 when Teuvo Teravainen racked up his fourth goal of the season on a rebound attempt on Elliott.
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews drove hard to the net and after a shove from Backes, there was a pile-up in the paint.
The Hawks only took 22 shots in the second and third periods combined after taking 18 in the first.
Blues goaltender Jake Allen stopped 27 of 28 shots after relieving starter Brian Elliott early in the game.
Elliott went to the dressing room with 2:16 remaining in the first and 35 seconds after permitting Seabrook’s goal that made it 4-2. Elliott didn’t return to the bench, but the Blues didn’t disclose why.
Backes was called for interference on the play, and with Elliott exiting, it was a play “I feel pretty bad about”, Backes said.
The Blues tied it just 54 seconds later when Colton Parayko’s shot from the left point glanced off Steen’s leg and sailed past Crawford.
Shaw was awarded his penalty shot at 4:37 after Parayko hooked him from behind on a breakaway. The Blues finished out their ninth win of the season, improving their road record to 5-2 this season.
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Seabrook made it 4-2 from the left point with 2:51 left, and Kane beat Allen 43 seconds later on a screened shot from the left circle just 8 seconds into a Chicago power-play. St. Louis had to be a exhausted group heading into Chicago. It didn’t take long for Dano to score his first goal with Chicago. Blackhawks RW Marian Hossa missed his second consecutive game because of a lower-body injury.
