St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott (centre) deflects a shot against the Chicago Blackhawks during their NHL game. (USA TODAY Sports)
By Jeremy Rutherford/St Louis Post-Dispatch (MCT)
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.