Two rivals played an excellent match last night in Chicago where the Blackhawks hosted the Blues. The visitors booked the victory in overtime 6:5, but the course of the game will be remembered by great turnarounds.
Nobody expected such a high-scoring game; this fixture is usually an inefficient one, with not many attempts on goal and hard-hitting hockey. However, this one was entirely different. Chicago took the early 3:1 lead after only six minutes in the first part of the game and at that point everyone realized that this is going to be an uncharacteristic duel.
St Louis managed to claw one goal back, but the Blackhawks scored another two in space of 50 seconds and the first period finished 5:2 for the reigning champions. It was the first five-goal period for Chicago after 2010. The visiting head coach changed his goaltender twice to find one that will bring stability to the goal.
The St Louis Blues marked the second period with astonishing performance and a big comeback. They won it 3:0, with two goals in the last three minutes of the 2nd sequence. The fans were extremely entertained because it is rare seeing 10 goals in first two periods of the hockey game. The home team fans were disappointed, though, after Chicago blew up a three-goal lead.
The final period brought us the game we expected. It was a classic rivalry showdown between these teams, filled with body checks and roughing. Chicago dominated, but failed to find the net, and the teams went into the overtime.
Vladimir Tarasenko scored a match winner one minute before the end of OT, silenced the home fans and earned a valuable two pint for his team. This was one of the biggest comebacks in the season and has put St Louis at the second place in the Western Conference.
The Blackhawks were left deeply disappointed after an early lead and the champions have only 15 points from the first 13 games. Chicago is apparently playing in hot and cold streaks; they are relatively inconsistent and must improve their game in the coming weeks to compete for the playoffs again. They did attempt 43 shots compared to The Blues’ 29, but they lacked the efficiency.
The Three Stars of the Game were:
1st Brent Seabrook – The Chicago’s defenseman was terrific and contributed with a goal and assist, four shots in 26 minutes on the ice.
2nd Alex Steen – The left winger was in outstanding form for the visitors. He scored two goals in four attempts and spent four minutes in the penalty box.
3rd Patrick Kane – The Blackhawks’ leading scorer and the arguably best player were great once again. Kane recorded a goal and assisted in 25 minutes in the game.
Chicago will play next game at New Jersey Devils while St Louis will travel to Tennessee to clash with the Nashville Predators.
