The Associated Press
Matt Carlson
CHICAGO–The Blackhawks’ big-name scorers keep coming through when needed–and Chicago keeps on rolling.
Artem Anisimov scored with 5:20 left in the third period to lift the Blackhawks to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues last night.
It was their fourth-straight win and ninth in their last 10 games.
Anisimov beat Jake Allen on the glove side from the right edge of the crease for his 22nd goal–matching his career high–after taking a pinpoint cross-ice pass from linemate Artemi Panarin.
Tanner Kero added an empty-netter with 2.6 seconds left.
The Blackhawks have outscored opponents 44-24 during their 10-game run.
The goals not only have been plentiful but timely, as Chicago’s top two lines have been clicking.
“If somebody has a good shift, everybody feeds off it and keeps it going,” Anisimov noted.
“It’s very nice to have two lines going.”
Anisimov’s line, with wingers Panarin and Patrick Kane, has been outstanding. So has the trio of centre Jonathan Toews with wingers Richard Panik and rookie Nick Schmaltz.
“I think we’re so much deeper as a team [when] both lines are dangerous and effective,” said coach Joel Quenneville.
‘”Who are [opponents] going to check? Who are they going to match up on the back end?” he mused.
“It gives the other team something to think about over the course of a game.”
Chicago pulled within one point of first-place Minnesota in the Central Division and Western Conference despite blowing an early 2-0 lead.
Blackhawks’ defenceman Duncan Keith had an assist for his 500th NHL point.
Magnus Paajarvi and Alex Pietrangelo replied for the Blues, who played their first game following their bye week and lost their third-straight.
After Pietrangelo connected during a power play in the second period to tie it at 2-2, the Blues saw a chance to get back on track.
“This would have been a good one to come away with,” Pietrangelo noted.
“I know teams haven’t had a lot of success coming out of the break,” he added.
“It would have been nice to break that trend.”
Scott Darling made 30 saves as he stepped in for No. 1 goalie Corey Crawford, who was ill and ruled out by Quenneville at the team’s morning skate.
Allen blocked 38 shots. Those were too many, said coach Mike Yeo.
“You could tell there were a couple of times we weren’t sharp mentally, and couple of those breakdowns obviously led to some big scoring chances against,” he noted.
“That’s too bad because Jake did everything he could to keep us in that game.”
Elsewhere in the NHL, Calgary beat Carolina 3-1, Ottawa edged Florida 2-1, Nashville topped Edmonton 5-4, Boston doubled Dallas 6-3, Columbus downed the N.Y. Rangers 5-2, and Arizona nipped Buffalo 3-2.
