Sizzling Blackhawks top Blues
CHICAGO -- Artem Anisimov snapped a third-period tie with a goal, and Scott Darling made 30 saves as the Chicago Blackhawks won for the ninth time in the past 10 games, beating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 Sunday night.
Anisimov took a pinpoint cross-ice pass from Artemi Panarin with 5:20 remaining in the third period before Darling helped hold off a late St. Louis rally to preserve the win for the Blackhawks (39-18-5). Darling started in place of Corey Crawford, who missed the game due to illness. Darling made several key saves to keep the Blackhawks on top in the closing minutes.
Tanner Kero tallied an empty-net to send the Blues (31-25-5) to their third straight loss. Jake Allen made 38 saves for St. Louis.
The Blues erased an early two-goal deficit and drew even in the second period on an Alex Pietrangelo power-play goal. The Blackhawks had a flurry of scoring chances while leading 2-1 but couldn't convert, which opened the door for Pietrangelo to score the equalizer.
The Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, who each registered a hat trick in Chicago's previous two games. Toews scored on the power play on a perfect give-and-go with Nick Schmaltz at 4:18. Toews found Kane at 11:44 to extend the Blackhawks' advantage.
The Blues trimmed the deficit to a goal at 16:54 of the first period. Magnus Paajarvi scored an unassisted goal after he scooped up a loose puck on a Trevor van Riemsdyk turnover and fired a shot past Darling.
NOTES: Blues F Ivan Barbashev missed Sunday's game with an upper-body injury he sustained this week while playing for the Blues' AHL affiliate in Chicago. The injury is next considered to be serious. ... St. Louis scratched RW Nail Yakupov and D Robert Bortuzzo. ... With G Corey Crawford sick, the Blackhawks recalled Lars Johansson from AHL Rockford to back up Scott Darling on Sunday. ... Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body injury) did not play after missing practice on Saturday, and he remains day-to-day. Hjalmarsson left Chicago's game against Arizona on Thursday due to the injury. ... Chicago D Duncan Keith registered his 500th career point with an assist on RW Patrick Kane's first-period goal. ... Blackhawks RW Jordin Tootoo also missed Sunday's game due to illness, and C Dennis Rasmussen was a healthy scratch.