CHICAGO – When Jake McCabe slammed David Perron into the boards on the day after Thanksgiving, Perron’s season took an ugly turn.
He missed the next 11 games with a concussion and then also was sidelined by COVID. The Blues’ leading scorer from last season, wasn’t quite the same after that. It took him forever to get back on his game. Sure he’d show flashes every now and then, but it was a slow go.
Then came Sunday at the United Center, the same place where that hit took place from McCabe, the Chicago defenseman. Perron scored twice, giving him 11 goals for the season, and helping the Blues salt away a 4-0 victory over the Blackhawks.
At 32-14-6, the Blues solidified their hold on second place in the Central Division. In the process they stretched their point streak to seven games (6-0-1). They finished their season series with Chicago at 3-0-1; next stop New York.
Jordan Binnington was strong in goal for the second time in six games, recording his second shutout of the season and the 10th of his career. His other shutout this season? It came against these same Blackhawks, 1-0 on Oct. 30 at Enterprise Center.
But the time this one ended Sunday, many of the fans had left United Center, and Blues fans in attendance were chanting “Let’s go Blues!”
The Blues’ best chances in the opening period came early but didn’t result in even a shot. First, Torey Krug sprung Jordan Kyrou with a stretch pass. The breakaway was on. Kyrou skated in, slowed, waited, waited. And never shot the puck on Marc-Andre Fleury. Kyrou went behind the goalie, looking to bounce one off Fleury’s back, but never got a chance. That sequence occurred about three minutes in.
A few minutes later, the Blues had a 2-on-1 rush, but Kyrou didn’t have his stick down for a net-front setup from Brayden Schenn. Again, not even a shot.
The Blackhawks, 8-5 winners Friday over New Jersey, gradually started to assert themselves. Jordan Binnington, making his second start in three games, robbed Kirby Dach from the near slot, for his best save of the period.
With 10.4 seconds left in the first, the Blues got the game’s first power play when Brandon Hagel was whistled for tripping Kyrou.
The Blues couldn’t convert on that penalty to start the second period, although they had several good chances on the continuation of the power play. And it didn’t take them long after the power play to break the scoreless tie.
Just 37 seconds after that power play expired, Schenn gave Kyrou a room-service feed on the backside. This time Kyrou has his stick down for a tap-in and his 21st goal of the season just 2:26 into the second period.
Ivan Barbashev, who matched his career high with three assists Friday against Buffalo, really made the play. He stole an attempted exit pass by Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy, then sent it back down the boards to Kyrou, who began a little give-and-go with Schenn.
The Blues have been a strong second period team all season, leading the league with a plus-24 goal differential in the second entering Sunday’s game. They added a few more plus-marks to the ledger before the period was out.
About 4 ½ minutes after the Kyrou goal, Robert Thomas went to work behind the Chicago net. He outbattled two Blackhawks for the puck, took it from Seth Jones and sent it out to the near slot where Pavel Buchnevich was waiting. Buchnevich made quick work of it, sending a wrist shot pass Fleury to make it a 2-0 game. It was Buchnevich’s 19th of the season.
The Blues weren’t finished with the second. Late in the period, Caleb Jones was sent off for holding Ryan O’Reilly. Picking up where they left off from their earlier power play, the Blues whipped the puck around and had several good chances.
Perron made his count, whipping a shot from the left circle past Fleury, who appeared to slip moving from side to side in an unsuccessful attempt to shut the backdoor.
It was Perron’s 10th goal of the season, giving the Blues eight players this season with 10 or more goals. Suddenly it was a 3-0 Blues lead with 1:52 to play in the second period.
Early in the third period, Perron made it a 4-0 game with another goal. Chicago won a faceoff in its own zone, but Perron hustled back to get the puck and in one quick swipe got it past Fleury at the 3:04 mark of the period.
Over the remaining 16:56, the only suspense left was whether Binnington would get the shutout.
