Photo by: (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Blues. Blackhawks.
The rivalry lives on as both teams have faced each other 339 times including 56 times in the playoffs.
That number could go up next week as both teams are currently slated to face each other in the first round after a 2-1 overtime victory for St. Louis.
Both netminders were stunning in net as Scott Darling turned aside 33 of 35 shots faced while Brian Elliott made 24 stops.
In typical fashion, Vladamir Tarasenko marked the difference for the Blues with a goal in the third period and an overtime goal bringing his total to 38 on the season.
After the win, the Blues move to 49-23-9 for 107 points. The Dallas Stars also picked up a win, so both teams remain tied with 107 points with one game left in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks still sit in third with 102 points.
Goaltending dominated most of the game including a sprawling save by Elliott in the first period of a wide open shot by Teuvo Teravainen from the feed from Patrick Kane to keep the game scoreless.
The Blackhawks would get their chance again on the power play in the second period.
Kane held the puck with poise up around the blue line waiting for the play to develop. Then, the captain, Jonathan Toews, glided down the left side wide open as Kane threaded the pass to him. Toews walked in untouched and wristed a shot between the legs of Elliott breaking the scoreless game with 7:20 left in the second period.
The Blues responded in the third as they emptied their net for an extra attacker. Kevin Shattenkirk fired a puck on net as Darling kicked the save away, but the puck rebounded right to Tarasenko moving in on goal as he one-time a shot into the back of the net tying the game with 1:16 left in regulation.
The game remained knotted at one heading into overtime as the Blues had a chance to end it early.
On a two on one, Alex Pietrangelo and Paul Stastny traded passes before Stastny finally took a shot on net. Darling stopped it right in front with the pad, but the Blues kept jamming. Darling held his line as the puck remained out keeping the game tied.
Darling and Elliott traded stops, but eventually a turnover by Kane led to another chance for the Blues. Stastny picked up the loose puck and entered the attacking zone drawing a defender to him. Stastny then dropped the puck to Alex Pietrangelo with wide open shot, but Pietrangelo slid it across to Tarasenko after drawing Darling out. Tarasenko put the puck in the empty net giving the Blues the win.
Following the win, the Blues will play their last game before the playoffs Saturday against the Washington Capitals at 7 p.m.
