The St. Louis Blues scored three goals in a span of 8:26 in the second period to beat the best home team in the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-2. This is a make or break stretch for the Blues who play seven games in the next 11 days before the Olympic break.
David Backes scored twice and Jay McClement scored in that second period flurry and Chris Mason made 32 saves and stopped a late third period onslaught by the Hawks to pick up their 8th win in 16 games under interim coach Davis Payne.
The Hawks were playing their first home game after an eight game road trip and fed off the frenzied United Center crowd when Patrick Kane made it 1-0 less than three minutes into the game on a breakaway.
Late in the second period, the Blues caught fire. Backes scored his first off a pass from behind the net by Paul Kariya. Backes then put St. Louis up 2-1 on a power play with his 13th goal of the year. Then McClement put in the decisive goal on a redirected shot from defensemen Roman Polak.
Chicago outshot St. Louis 14-7 in the third period, and closed the game to a goal when Marian Hossa scored shorthanded at 4:16 off a feed from Jonathan Toews. It was Hossa’s fourth shorthanded goal this season.
The Blues are at home tonight to play the Sharks, the other top team in the Western Conference before they host Chicago again on Saturday.
