Blues begin season with road win over Blackhawks
CHICAGO -- Right winger Vladimir Tarasenko had two goals and an assist and the St. Louis Blues scored three times on the power play in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and center Paul Stastny each had a goal and two assists for St. Louis (1-0-0).
Left winger Richard Panik and right winger Ryan Hartman scored for the Blackhawks. Chicago (0-1-0) committed five penalties and managed only 19 shots as it struggled to find rhythm in the offensive zone.
St. Louis goaltender Jake Allen stopped 17 shots in the win. Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford turned aside 29 of 32 shots.
Stastny notched a power-play goal 55 seconds into the third period to put the Blues ahead 3-2 for their first lead of the game. Crawford stopped a rising shot from Tarasenko but could not corral the rebound, and Stastny chopped at the puck as it bounced off the ice.
Tarasenko added an empty-net goal with 1:06 remaining to make it 4-2.
The Blues' Scottie Upshall was credited with a goal with 19 seconds remaining after Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook inadvertently swept a pass into his own team's empty net.
Chicago converted its first power-play opportunity to seize a 1-0 lead at 4:38 of the first period. Panik punched a rebound past Allen from the left side of the crease.
St. Louis responded with a goal on the man advantage to even the score at 1 early in the second period. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo slipped a pass to Shattenkirk, who blasted a one-timer from the left circle.
Chicago grabbed a 2-1 advantage on Hartman's first career goal with 6:03 to go in the second period. The Blackhawks' 2013 first-round draft pick intercepted a clearing attempt and scored moments later on a quick pass from left winger Tyler Motte. Hartman pumped a fist to celebrate the milestone.
St. Louis capitalized on a five-on-three power play to even the score at 2 with 31.9 seconds remaining in the second period. Tarasenko scored on a wrist shot from the right circle as Jonathan Toews and Artem Anisimov watched from the Blackhawks' penalty box.
NOTES: Blackhawks D Niklas Hjalmarsson was out of the lineup as he served a suspension for charging St. Louis RW Ty Rattie during an Oct. 1 preseason game. Hjalmarsson was suspended for Chicago's final three preseason games and its first regular-season game. He will be eligible to return Friday against Nashville. ... Blues D Carl Gunnarsson and LW Magnus Paajarvi were healthy scratches. ... Blackhawks D Michal Rozsival and C Dennis Rasmussen were healthy scratches. ... RW Nail Yakupov made his Blues debut five days after he was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers. ... Four Blackhawks players made their NHL debuts: D Gustav Forsling, D Michal Kempny, LW Tyler Motte and C Nick Schmaltz. ... Blues D Alex Pietrangelo appeared in his first regular-season game as captain. Coach Ken Hitchcock promoted Pietrangelo to the role after RW David Backes signed with the Boston Bruins.