St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott (centre) deflects a shot against the Chicago Blackhawks during their NHL game. (USA TODAY Sports)
Searching for any vital signs from his team, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock claimed before Saturday’s game against Chicago that the final tally on the Jumbo-tron would be of minimal significance.
“Regardless of the score tonight, I want to see us play our game and I want to see a lot of good minutes on it,” Hitchcock said. “If we get that consistent play and that consistent behaviour, I just know whether it’s tonight or a week from now, we’re going to get on a roll here.”
Hitchcock may have flunked a lie-detector test when probed about winning or losing against the Blackhawks, who knocked the Blues out in the first round of the 2013-14 postseason. But he didn’t have to sit down for one after his club passed its test in flying colours with a 3-2 victory over the visiting ‘Hawks.
In the Blues’ first meeting with Chicago since last April’s playoff ouster, a highly charged victory was the result of a game-winning goal by recently recalled forward Dmitrij Jaskin in the waning seconds of the second period. The club withstood a third-period goal by Kris Versteeg to eke out the win on 22 saves by goaltender Brian Elliott.
The Blues also picked up goals from a familiar source, Jaden Schwartz, and unlikely contributor, Ryan Reaves, who delivered on a night in which the club desperately needed offense. They received it without the help of the NHL’s second-ranked power play, scoring three even-strength goals, which is half of what the Blues had entering the night.
“We took some steps today that look a little bit like our team, looked like the way we can play,” Hitchcock said afterwards.
Despite the Blues’ pre-game focus on a better performance, and not the storylines that stemmed from last season’s playoff series loss to the Chicago, the animosity was tangible immediately after the opening face-off, as David Backes gave Jonathan Toews a captain’s welcome to St. Louis with a shove.
The Blackhawks, though, quickly went to work, forcing Elliott to make an early leg save and drawing a hooking penalty against defenseman Jay Bouwmeester just 16 seconds into the game. Then after absorbing a check from Andrew Shaw, defenseman Barret Jackman piled on Shaw behind the Blues’ net and gave him a few jabs. A roughing call against Jackman put the ‘Hawks on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:22.
Chicago’s 14th-ranked power-play unit needed just eight seconds to score. Patrick Kane sent a saucer in front of the Blues’ crease to Patrick Sharp, who buried his third goal of the season for a 1-0 lead just 1:02 into the game.
It marked the third consecutive games in which the Blues have surrendered a goal to their opponent in the inside the first two minutes. Anaheim netted one just 1:37 into a 3-0 win last Sunday, Vancouver took only 41 seconds in a 4-1 triumph and Chicago picked up one in 1:02.