Jonathan Toews recorded a hat trick, including scoring the game-winning goal in overtime, as the Chicago Blackhawks outlasted the host St. Louis Blues for a 5-4 win on Saturday night.
Toews scored in the first period and third period before burying the decisive goal 2:20 into overtime. Patrick Kane and Marcus Kruger also scored one goal apiece for Chicago.
Vladimir Tarasenko tallied a pair of goals in a losing effort for St. Louis. Colton Parayko and Chris Butler had one goal apiece.
Cam Ward stopped 26 of 30 shots to pick up the victory. On the opposite side of the rink, Jake Allen made 25 saves on 30 shots.
Chicago has won each of its past 44 games when Toews and Kane both score at least one goal.
The Blues opened the scoring on Parayko's power-play goal at the 14:42 mark of the first period. Teammate Pat Maroon fed a pass toward the high slot for Parayko, who settled the puck and ripped a slap shot past Ward's glove side.
Tarasenko increased the Blues' lead to 2-0 less than three minutes later. His initial shot was denied as he drove toward the net, but he followed the play and punched in his own rebound.
The Blackhawks closed the gap to 2-1 with 90 seconds to go in the first period. Defenseman Erik Gustafsson missed wide left on a wrist shot, but the puck ricocheted off the end boards and slid straight to Toews near the net for an easy tap-in goal.
Kane evened the score at 2 when he sent a rising wrist shot through traffic early in the second period. The sequence marked Kane's second goal in as many games to start the season.
Kruger put Chicago ahead midway through the second period when he scored on a rebound from Kane.
The Blues pulled even at 3 on Tarasenko's second goal -- this time on the power play. Ward swept his stick to try to deny the shot, but replays showed that the puck barely crossed the goal line before the goaltender pushed it out.
Twenty-two seconds later, Butler gave St. Louis a 4-3 lead.
The advantage quickly disappeared as Toews notched his second goal of the game and third of the season at the 6:59 mark of the third period. He again scored from the front of the net to make it 4-all.
--Field Level Media
Chicago | St. Louis | |
Jonathan Toews 3 | Points | Ryan O'Reilly 3 |
Jonathan Toews 3 | Goals | Vladimir Tarasenko 2 |
Alex Debrincat 2 | Assists | Ryan O'Reilly 3 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | Vladimir Tarasenko 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Cam Ward .867 | Save Percentage | Jake Allen .833 |
Cam Ward 26 | Saves | Jake Allen 25 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Chicago | 30 | 5 | 0-4 | 4-6 | 12 | 30 |
St. Louis | 30 | 4 | 2-6 | 4-4 | 8 | 38 |