GDT #53: 2/8/15 | 11:30AM CST | v Blackhawks | NBC/KMOX

[dmiles2186]

With the Chicago Blackhawks mired in their worst scoring drought in years, not surprisingly Patrick Kane brought them out of it.

They can build more momentum Sunday before going back to Chicago after a long trip if they can beat a division rival which rarely loses at home, facing a St. Louis Blues team looking to re-establish its winning ways after its worst defeat of the season.

Chicago (32-18-2) entered Friday's tilt with Winnipeg after suffering consecutive shutout losses for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Following a scoreless first period, Kane finally broke through in the second to end the scoring drought at 149 minutes and 25 seconds, then assisted Brandon Saad's overtime goal in a 2-1 victory.

The win pushed the Blackhawks' record to 3-3-0 on their season-high seven-game road swing, which began Jan. 21, and prevented the team's first three-game losing streak since March 27-30.

Kane has scored or assisted on half of Chicago's 20 goals over the past eight games. The former Conn Smythe Trophy winner has 26 goals - four shy of his career high - and entered the weekend tied for the league lead with 58 points.

"Kaner was dangerous," coach Joel Quenneville told the Blackhawks' official site. "He made several plays tonight that were kind of characteristic of how he has been all year. Very dangerous ... It was much-needed."

That production from Kane has been present against St. Louis (34-14-4) as well. He has seven points in his last four regular-season matchups with the Blues and scored twice in the most recent meeting, a 4-1 Blackhawks win Dec. 3. In the first round of last year's playoffs, Kane tallied five points over the final three games as Chicago closed out St. Louis in six.

The Blues are 8-0-1 in their last nine home games and 15-1-2 in St. Louis since Nov. 11 - the only team without at least two regulation home losses in that span.

They had been winning everywhere in recent weeks, winning seven in a row and going 12-0-1 since Jan. 3, before a shocking 7-1 loss at lowly Columbus on Friday. That matched St. Louis' most lopsided defeat since Ken Hitchcock took over as coach in 2011.

"They outplayed us," Hitchcock said. "We were unfocused at times. We trended this way the last three games. It caught up to us. We'll regroup and get ready for Sunday."

It was the first time in 18 games St. Louis failed to score at least twice and the most goals it has allowed in more than a year. Over the 13-game hot stretch prior to Friday, St. Louis had scored 3.92 goals per game while allowing 1.85.

The Blues' power play ranks among the best in the NHL with a 24.1 percent success rate but will face a strong challenge Sunday against Chicago's top-ranked penalty kill (87.9 percent). The Blackhawks haven't surrendered a power-play goal in their last three games and haven't allowed one to St. Louis in nine chances this season.

Corey Crawford figures to start in net for Chicago after picking up his 20th win of the season Friday. He's 12-3-2 with a 1.72 goals-against average in his last 17 games against the Blues, including the playoffs, but didn't play in either matchup this season.

Brian Elliott didn't start the last meeting after making 22 saves in a 3-2 home win over the Blackhawks on Oct. 25, improving to 3-1-0 with a 2.04 GAA in his last five games against them. Elliott was pulled in the second period Friday after allowing four goals on 14 shots, but he's 7-0-1 with a 1.79 GAA in his last eight at home.

[ComradeT]

Fucked up game time. Especially with second half of United vs West Ham overlapping. The only good thing is that it's just as fucked up for the Hawks.

[PGABluesFan]

Senko our Lord and Savior! What a goal!

[TSUCookieMonster]

This is turning into a great game... both teams are playing well, but Chicago doesn't look like the team they were last year (at least today). Blues look like the better squad hands down.

[Krigloch the Furious]

what a wonderful 3rd period that was.
3 shots. Way to go Blues!

[JesusNEVERexisted]

Fucked up game time. Especially with second of United vs West Ham overlapping. The only good thing is that it's just as fucked up for the Hawks.

Sucker is what's fucked up. No one cares in America. League soccer will NEVER be mainstream here.

Ice hockey, on the other hand, is the greatest game on earth like Gretzky himself said. People thought the Super Bowl was exciting last week but NOTHING compares to a Blues/Blackhawks game!

Chaser just said the Hawks were over the Blues like an Anaconda! LOL! They also said the Hawks have outscored the Blues 8-3 in their last 2 matchups. Didn't think it was that wide a gap.

[tjk002]

This just in, Berglund is awful.

Hurt or not, have to unload this guy and his 3 plus million. Close second is Statsny with his bloated salary.

I don't think I realized how bad Butler and Gunnarson are as a pair until today. On the ice for 3 goals against today.

[theohall]

The league might as well scrap the instigator rule. This is the 3rd time I can recall over the past couple of months when a Blues player makes a clean hit, an opponent takes exception, that opponent skates straight at the Blues player who delivered the hit with the only intent of starting a fight, and NO instigator penalty was called. The only exception today was Carcillo didn't come off the bench (in a legal line change) and immediately go after Ott has happened in the prior to instances.

Two other officiating gripes - how in the hell did they miss the high stick on Reaves? He had just received the puck on the boards and no ref saw a Hawks stick blatantly hit him in the face? Schwartz getting his stick slashed out of his hands with no call. (Granted, the refs didn't call the Blues later in the 3rd for the same thing, so that one washes out).

Anyway, Gunnarson and Butler - ugh.

Bouwmeester played better, but still had his once/game hand the puck to a defender in scoring position play.

What I thought was interesting, both opening goals scored due to a forward not covering when a defenseman was behind the opposition's net. In the Blues instance, Tarasenko was trying to get into a scoring position, with no one backing him up due to Gunnarson being behind the net - an understandable mistake/gamble. Don't know what the Hawks were thinking not covering arguably the most dangerous player in the NHL.

Berglund is being asked to play a role which might have never been intended. 2nd/3rd line center, greater responsibility at both ends, more skating required. He Rattie and Jaskin don't have chemistry, yet. Both Rattie and Jaskin have done the dump the puck in front of the net thing from behind it with no one there. Today, there were two instances where either Rattie or Jaskin were there and relatively open, but Berglund from behind the net worked towards cycling both times, instead of getting the puck in front. Missed opportunities.

We'll see what happens going forward. IMO, Shatty in the lineup changes the outcome of this game.

Bottom line for the Blues - the forwards are going to have to work harder to cover for Gunnarson and Butler. There is no replacement for Shattenkirk on the power play and Muller needs to find a way to simplify it for the players available. I know, simplifying the power play makes it easier to defend, but it's so bad right now, opponents barely have to try to defend it. Just line up on the blue line and watch the Blues choke it away. (This has been true ever since Shattenkirk went out - even when they were winning). And the Blues need to work on more North/South stuff. Early in this one, they almost pulled the same crap that happened vs Columbus forcing passes across with a defender clearly in the passing lane and not getting it through that defender forcing everyone to come back and defend.

[Krigloch the Furious]

I miss Roman Polak. Gunnarson sucks. Hasn't shown a damn thing all year.

[cprice12]

The Blues got hosed on two no-calls in the 3rd period.
1) Not calling Carcillo for an instigator penalty leading to the fight after Ott's clean hit was a joke. That was the textbook definition of the instigator penalty and it wasn't called.

2) The Hawks had 8 men...yes EIGHT men on the ice with under 3 minutes to go in the game and that wasn't called either. EIGHT MEN!!

How does that not get called?

With that said, the Blues just didn't have it in the 3rd period. If they get those two calls, maybe they don't score...but those were ridiculously blatant textbook penalties that absolutely should have been called and it cost us a couple PP chances. I don't like to bitch about reffing, because calls are missed both ways every game, but these were calls you just have to make. No excuse. Especially when Bouwmeester was called for that hook at center which led to the Hawks 3rd goal. That was kind of weak...but still a penalty. But if they call that crap, then they can't ignore other more obvious stuff...which they did.

I thought the game was a real good game until the 3rd period...where the Blues seemed to be a bit out of gas and then didn't get a couple calls.

Elliott was fine. I don't really fault him on any of the goals. All three seemed to change directions on him in addition to being partially screened. Would it have been nice for him to stand on his head? Sure. It wasn't his best game...but he was fine.

I'm not sure why in the hell Tarasenko took a few 1 1/2 minute shifts. What the hell? He had a chance to get off and signaled for Oshie to come on, then skated right by the bench and back into the play, where he was dog tired and didn't do anything. Oshie hopped on the ice and had to hop right back off.

A lot of shit being talked by Hawks fans right now on Twitter and whatnot. But...the last I checked we were still in 2nd place and they were still in 3rd.

I would love to face Chicago in the playoffs again. Revenge from last season won't happen until a playoff rematch...and that's what I want.

[cardsfan04]

I miss Roman Polak. Gunnarson sucks. Hasn't shown a damn thing all year.

A guy at work said that to me too. I don't get it though. I think he's been fine for the most part. Hell, he's a +12 despite missing time with injury.

[cardsfan04]

Happy you guys noticed the instigator thing too. I was fully expecting a PP out of it. I mean, I hate the instigator penalty, but if it's a penalty and that's not it, I don't know what is. He skated straight to Ott, grabbed the back of his jersey to turn him around so they could fight. I don't know what else he could have done to instigate it.

[cprice12]

I miss Roman Polak. Gunnarson sucks. Hasn't shown a damn thing all year.

A guy at work said that to me too. I don't get it though. I think he's been fine for the most part. Hell, he's a +12 despite missing time with injury.

Agreed. I think Gunnarson has been fine this year for the most part.

[cprice12]

How many of you guys caught this move by Backes?


I saw it and heard some of the crowd cheer it...so I know it didn't go unnoticed.

[cardsfan04]

How many of you guys caught this move by Backes?


I saw it and heard some of the crowd cheer it...so I know it didn't go unnoticed.

I saw Schwartz catch it, but didn't realize Backes had kicked it up to him. That's pretty slick.

[cardsfan04]

The refs missed some calls for sure. The ones mentioned. Plus there was a hook in the first period and what was at least really really close to TMM in the first. Blackhawk player came on the ice before teammate was off and puck came right to him. He realized it and made sure not to touch it. Was pretty close though.

But, what cost us the game was the 3rd period. We just didn't have it. What's kinda ironic is that I think we played better today on the whole than we did for a number of games in the point streak. 3rd period was pretty mediocre, but thought we played a very good game up until then.

[JesusNEVERexisted]

How many of you guys caught this move by Backes?


I saw it and heard some of the crowd cheer it...so I know it didn't go unnoticed.

Cool...I saw a German DEL play that was similar except the guy was skating at full speed straight ahead which made it even more remarkable!

[Kerfuffle]

Gotta disagree on the no-call for Carcillo for instigating. Yes what Carcillo did would normally be considered an instigation but I thought how Ott responded made the refs see it as offsetting. If you recall early in the first period Ott was yapping to Carcillo trying to get him to drop the gloves - then he moved on to try and bait Shaw later on. So I believe the refs saw/heard that and knew he was trying to fight. So now fast forward to Carcillo going after Ott. Ott immediately dropped the gloves and even took the time to take off his helmet. Normally an instigation call occurs when the defendant appears to be caught offguard - I didn't see that from Ott at all - he seemed ready to fight immediately and I feel that's why there was no call made.

[drwoland]

Gotta disagree on the no-call for Carcillo for instigating. Yes what Carcillo did would normally be considered an instigation but I thought how Ott responded made the refs see it as offsetting. If you recall early in the first period Ott was yapping to Carcillo trying to get him to drop the gloves - then he moved on to try and bait Shaw later on. So I believe the refs saw/heard that and knew he was trying to fight. So now fast forward to Carcillo going after Ott. Ott immediately dropped the gloves and even took the time to take off his helmet. Normally an instigation call occurs when the defendant apperas to be caught offguard - I didn't see that from Ott at all - it seemed ready to fight immediately and I feel that's why there was no call made.

Yeah I agree with this. Ott's gloves may well have been off before Carcillo's.

[theohall]

Gotta disagree on the no-call for Carcillo for instigating. Yes what Carcillo did would normally be considered an instigation but I thought how Ott responded made the refs see it as offsetting. If you recall early in the first period Ott was yapping to Carcillo trying to get him to drop the gloves - then he moved on to try and bait Shaw later on. So I believe the refs saw/heard that and knew he was trying to fight. So now fast forward to Carcillo going after Ott. Ott immediately dropped the gloves and even took the time to take off his helmet. Normally an instigation call occurs when the defendant appears to be caught offguard - I didn't see that from Ott at all - he seemed ready to fight immediately and I feel that's why there was no call made.

That's not the point.... instigator is a player doing something outside the normal flow - which Carcilllo clearly did - to start a fight. Usually in reaction to something. Yes, Ott jabbers and tries to start crap. It's to get someone off their game and draw an instigating penalty resulting in a PP due to the fight.

Like I wrote earlier, this is the 3rd time an opponent as immediately gone after a Blues player in reaction to a hit with the express intent of starting a fight. NONE were called. Might as well scrap the rule. Heck, how many times has it been called at all this season in all games, In wonder.