After stopping a five-game skid with Friday’s overtime victory, the Chicago Blackhawks will vie for consecutive victories for the first time this season when the St. Louis Blues visit on Sunday afternoon.
Chicago is confident a newfound surge can carry over to the second contest of a three-game homestand. The Blackhawks tied Friday’s contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs 15 seconds into the third period when Jason Dickinson completed a natural hat trick. Rookie defenseman Kevin Korchinski’s goal 4:30 into overtime gave Chicago a 4-3 victory.
“That was a blast,” Dickinson said. “I felt like the energy was there, the emotions were in it. Everybody was having fun out there.
“I think it comes down to getting physical and getting engaged and being invested emotionally. Obviously, that was what the result was, but to get the emotion you have to turn it on inside first and then it translates to the ice.”
Dickinson netted his first career hat trick to lift the Blackhawks’ attack. Connor Bedard, the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, led Chicago with six shots but finished at minus-2.
Fellow forward Corey Perry was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row, but coach Luke Richardson didn’t provide insight into the status of the former Hart Trophy recipient.
Richardson was eager to discuss the play of goaltender Arvid Soderblom, who stopped 34 shots against the Maple Leafs after shining in relief during Wednesday’s 7-3 loss at Columbus.
“He’s played well for us, I’ve mentioned a few times,” Richardson said. “Just not enough goal support for his play this year at the right times, and (Friday) we got it for him, which is great.”
St. Louis struggled in net and most everywhere else during Friday’s 8-3 home loss to the Nashville Predators.
The Blues entered the matinee with two straight wins but were unable to hold off their Central Division counterparts, who beat goaltender Joel Hofer for four goals on 15 shots before scoring four times off Jordan Binnington in 20 shots.
Nashville effectively seized control with a pair of goals 28 seconds apart early in the first period.
“(Lack of) execution for sure,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “I liked our start the first five, six minutes. They get a goal, (then) I think we kind of froze. They put it in there and then we jump in our (defensemen), trying to poke a puck at the offensive line, give up an odd-man rush and they score again. I think we unraveled or whatever after that. But puck play and puck battles for me were not very good today.”
Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich both had a goal and assist for St. Louis, which now returns to the road amid a stretch of playing 10 of 13 games away from Enterprise Center.
Jake Neighbours also scored for the Blues, who will aim to regroup and relocate their discipline after an uneven effort against the Predators.
“They had some energy there. They had legs. They were on top of us everywhere we went,” Blues defenseman Justin Faulk said. “We couldn’t solve it.”
–Field Level Media
