Chris Stewart scores two as St. Louis Blues top Dallas Stars 5-3 to stay at number 4 -NHL Update
Chris Stewart emerged as the go-to man for St. Louis to maintain its fourth number position in the Western Conference as the Blues topped Dallas Stars, 5-3, on Monday night, December 26, 2011, at the Scottrade Center in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States.
Stewart scored the opening and closing goal for St. Louis, which ultimately became the two crucial goals that kept them alive and going in the contest.
Adam Cracknell, who was drafted as the 279th overall pick during round-nine of the 2004 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft by Calgary Flames and brought on to St. Louis during the previous season, was recalled once again by the major league
team while playing for the Peoria Rivermen in the American Hockey League (AHL).
His first major league game of the season brought some good luck as he managed to score the tie-breaking goal nearly midway through the second after Mike Ribeiro levelled the contest at the 4:22 mark.
"I'll take that as a Christmas present any day", Cracknell said. "This is a dream come true. You can't ask for anything better than to play in the NHL".
Jason Arnott took advantage of the only power play of the second period for his eighth of the 2011-2012 NHL regular season with three seconds left to play and extended the St. Louis lead entering the third and final period.
"We keep talking about one-goal games. We have a way of making it a one-goal game", Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said."We played really hard tonight. "We did a lot of really good things and probably got a little too revved up towards the end there ... When
it's 4-1, we're trying to make it 5-1 or when it's 4-2, we're trying to make it 5-2".
Evgeny Grachev also got his first of the season 6:43 into the third while Dallas attempted at a comeback with two straight by Eric Nystrom and Michael Ryder but were denied by Chris Stewart with his second and finalising goal of the night with less than
a minute to go.
St. Louis has its eyes on a third straight win when they face off against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday while Dallas Stars host Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.
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