CHICAGO — The all-important third goal continues to be elusive for the Blues. For the eighth time in their last 15 games, they failed to score more than two goals. They are now 1-5-2 in those eight games after squandering a 2-0 first-period lead to lose, 3-2, in overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday afternoon at the United Center.
After a strong start, the Blues faded down the stretch. They had only nine shots on goal over the final two periods and OT. They limp back to St. Louis with a 10-7-3 record and play Columbus on Saturday night at Enterprise Center.
Alex DeBrincat scored the game winner for Chicago, his 12th of the season, capping off a 2-on-1 rush with 3 minutes, 33 seconds left in overtime.
For the second time this season, the Blues scored a goal in the opening minute of play. Pavel Buchnevich barely beat the minute mark on Friday, finishing off a 2-on-1 for his sixth goal of the season 59 seconds into the contest.
As Buchnevich skated down left wing, Jordan Kyrou was on the other side and was patient — very patient — before he sent the puck across the ice for a Buchnevich tap-in and a 1-0 St. Louis lead. Buchnevich, who had an assist on the Blues’ second goal, has been on a quiet little run lately — with five goals and six assists over 11 games.
The team’s earlier early goal this season took just 13 seconds by Brandon Saad on Nov. 7 at Anaheim, but the Blues lost that game 4-1.
Speaking of Saad, the Blues entered the game with two consecutive shutouts over Chicago — 1-0 on Oct. 30 in St. Louis, and then 2-0 on March 8, 2020 here in Chicago. (The teams did not play last season.)
The last Blackhawks player to score against St. Louis? Why, Brandon Saad, with the fifth and final Chicago goal in a 6-5 Blues victory on Feb. 25, 2020.
It looked like Jonathan Toews had ended the scoreless streak Friday on a misplay by goalie Jordan Binnington behind the net. Binnington’s clearing pass went right to Toews, who shot into an empty net 4 1/2 minutes into the game. But the Blues challenged for offside; they were right, and the goal was disallowed, meaning Toews was still without a goal this season for the Blackhawks.
So it remained a 1-0 game but became 2-0 when Ivan Barbashev’s fifth goal of the season — matching his total from the entire 2020-21 season — came on a power play with 3:21 left in the first period. Barbashev was on the second power-play unit only because David Perron had left the contest with 8:06 left in the period after absorbing a crushing hit by Jake McCabe along the boards.
Perron went straight to the locker room and was done for the night with what the Blues termed an upper-body injury. Perron left under his own power. So Kyrou moved up from the second power play unit to the first, creating the space for Barbashev on the second unit.
The Blues were already short a forward, starting the game with an 11-forward, seven-defensemen lineup. James Neal missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. And Klim Kostin was scratched because of an upper-body body injury. So once Perron left, the Blues were down to just 10 forwards.
At the start of the second period, Brayden Schenn and McCabe went at it in the St. Louis offensive zone. Perhaps Schenn didn’t like the McCabe hit on Perron. Anyway, Schenn got the best of the fight. But just six seconds later, Chicago finally ended its scoring drought against St. Louis when Jujhar Khaira batted in a rebound mid-air to make it a 2-1 ballgame 34 seconds into the second period.
The Blackhawks’ scoring drought agaist the Blues was over at 152 minutes, 18 seconds. The goal pumped some life into Chicago, and the ice was tilted more in the Blackhawks favor over the rest of the period
After peppering Kevin Lankinen with 16 shots in the first period, the Blues had only six shots on goal in the second period. It was only the 45th NHL game for Lankinen, and marked the second game in a row the Blues faced a goalie for the first time.
Things didn’t work out so well Wednesday against Detroit goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who was outstanding in a 4-2 Red Wings victory.
On Friday, it looked like the Blues might make it a long night for Lankinen with those two first-period goals. But as things progressed, the game evolved from wide open to tight-checking, and the Blues didn’t have as many chances.
Ten minutes into the third period, the Blackhawks had two shots on goal for the period and the Blues just one. With 8 minutes to play, Saad found himself alone in the slot after a Chicago turnover but missed the net. A minute later, another Chicago turnover, another Blue was open in the slot (Kyrou), but another shot that missed net.
Chicago broke through again with just 5:04 to play when Brandon Hagel’s shot from distance found its way through a mass of net-front traffic to tie the game at 2-all. At that point, St. Louis still had only one shot on goal in the period.
The Blues finished the period with just two shots on goal before the contest headed into overtime.
