Jonathan Toews helps Chicago Blackhawks beat St. Louis Blues, 4-3: NHL Recap
Jonathan Toews notched the game-winner in the extra-session and Corey Crawford turned aside 21 shots as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 at United Centre on Wednesday night.
An excited Toews said after the game, “When it comes down to OT or late in the third period, we’re going to find a way to win. You saw the motivation, the determination we had on the ice tonight.”
Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky and Nick Leddy each also lit the lamp for the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago, which ended a two-game slide.
This victory gives the Blackhawks two points of clinching a Western Conference play-off spot. Chicago currently has 95 points and is in seventh-place in the Western Conference. Chicago sits two points ahead of the Anaheim Ducks.
"It was a huge two points," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "We have to keep playing harder and better."
David Backes and Chris Stewart each scored a goal while T.J. Oshie tallied a goal and dished out an assist for the Blues, who had their two-game winning streak snapped. The goal-tender, Ty Conklin, surrendered all four goals on 39 shots
for St. Louis, which is out of the play-offs for the second consecutive season.
The Blues got on the board less than a minute into the first stanza, when Backes unleashed a wrist-shot past Crawford for his 31st goal of the season.
St. Louis doubled its advantage in the second minute of the middle frame with Oshie’s power-play goal. The goal came when Oshie blasted a high shot from the top of the right circle that slipped past Crawford.
"I thought the flow of the game was working in the right direction," St. Louis' Head Coach, Davis Payne, said after the game.
The Blackhawks reduced their deficit to 2-1 in the eighth minute of the middle period on Hossa’s goal. The game was set up by Sharp, who sent a pass into the crease that deflected into the cage off Hossa’s left skate.
Chicago pulled even in the 14th minute of the second frame when Kopecky chipped in a rebound from the left edge of the crease.
The Blackhawks took a 3-2 lead with less than two minutes to play in the second period when Leddy fired a screened shot from the left point that beat the Blues' net-minder.
The Blues tied the game at 3-3 in the 10th minute of the final period when Stewart blasted a shot from the slot past Crawford.
The Blues' goalie Conklin saved eight shots to get the play to overtime.
Toews capped the scoring with a deciding-goal with less than two minutes to play in the extra-session. The goal came when Keith made a feed to Toews, who beat Ty Conklin on the short-side to snatch the win.
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