Photo by: AP Photo/Paul Beaty
After a long flight to Chicago, the Blues found a way to get two points thanks to a goal in overtime by Vladamir Tarasenko to give them a 6-5 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blues didn’t arrive to Chicago until around 4 a.m. due to fog that forced their plane to be re-directed to Milwaukee.
After trailing 5-2 in the first period, the Blues stormed back with three goals in the second period.
Brian Elliott started the game, but allowed four goals on 15 shots. Jake Allen entered the game with 2:16 remaining in the first period and proceeded to stop all 27 shots faced the rest of the game.
With the win, St. Louis improves to 9-3-1 with 19 points. The Blues are now second in the Central Division and trail the Dallas Stars by just point.
In the first period, it was all Chicago.
Ryan Hartman stole the puck from Carl Gunnarsson and gave it to Mark Dano who scored on Elliott. The goal put Chicago out in front 1-0 just 2:08 into the game.
The Blues answered quickly.
Jori Lehtera collected the puck behind the net in the attacking end and sent a pass to Tarasenko along the side boards. Tarasenko passed to the point where Colton Parayko sent a shot that Alexander Steen tipped to tie the game at one with 16:58 remaining in the first period.
Chicago answered back on a penalty shot after Andrew Shaw was taken down with a hook on a breakaway. Shaw went in on the shot and ripped a shot past Elliott low to the blocker side making it 2-1.
St. Louis tried to get the puck out of the zone, but Trevor Daley collected the puck at the blue line. Daley sent a shot in on net that Elliott turned aside. But, Joel Edmunson wasn’t able to shield off Teuvo Teravainen as Teravainen deked past Elliott and scored. The goal made it 3-1 just 6:35 into the game.
The Blues struck back next to help close the deficit.
Elliott made a right-pad save, and the rebound popped out to Robby Fabbri. Fabbri gathered the puck and carried it with speed through the neutral zone into the attacking end. Then, Fabbri pulled the puck to his forehand using Daley as a screen before ripping a wrist shot past Corey Crawford to make it 3-2 4:48 remaining in the first period.
Chicago dominated the last four minutes of the period as Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane each netted goals to make it 5-2.
Both teams combined for seven goals in the first period, which is the most in a single period by St. Louis this year. The last time Chicago scored five goals in a single period was March 5, 2010.
With Allen in the game in the second period, the Blues where a completely different team.
Steen got the scoring again with strong play in front of the net. Jay Bouwmeester sent a cross-ice pass across the blue line to Parayko on the right side. Parayko wristed a shot on net that Steen tipped past Crawford bringing the deficit to two.
After recording an assist on Steen’s second goal, Bouwmeester got one of his own.
Scott Gomez held the puck below the goal line in the offensive zone and found Troy Brouwer in the high slot. With two defenders on him, Brouwer slid the puck to Boumeester coming down from his spot at the point as Bouwmeester scored to cut the lead to one.
Finally, the Blues tied the game up with under a minute left in the second period.
Fabbri carried the puck around the net with speed and found Alex Pietrangelo for the one timer by the face off dot. The shot bounced off the end boards to David Backes. Backes kicked the puck from his skates before putting it into the net from a tough angle to make it 5-5.
After a scoreless third period in which the Blues outscored the Blackhawks 14-7, the game went to overtime.
In overtime, Pietrangelo had a terrific opportunity in the high slot that Crawford turned aside. Pietrangelo didn’t give up on the play and gathered the rebound. Pietrangelo curled and found Tarasenko coming down the center of the ice. Tarasenko scored on a wrist shot to the glove side of Crawford winning the game for St. Louis.
The goal is Tarasenko’s seventh of the season tying him with Steen for the team lead in goals.
Next up for the Blues after the win is the Nashville Predators Saturday, Nov. 7. Puck drop from Nashville is set for 7 p.m.
