Blues win Winter Classic vs. Blackhawks, thanks to Tarasenko
ST. LOUIS – The Gateway Arch was erased from the Busch Stadium skyline by low-hanging clouds and fog. Rain fell throughout the morning and into the first period, before dissipating. But the 2017 NHL Winter Classic was played as scheduled Monday afternoon in St. Louis, and Vladimir Tarasenko made sure the St. Louis Blues fans went home happy.
The Blues sniper scored two goals in the third period that were 1 minute and 53 seconds apart as St. Louis defeated their arch rivals the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-1.
Tarasenko scored his 17th goal of the season off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjarlmarsson, charging to the net after a Robby Fabbri pass and then attempting to send his own pass back to Jori Lehtera. Instead, it went off the Chicago defenseman and behind Corey Crawford.
He struck again a short while later with a nasty shot off the rush that fooled Crawford for goal No. 18, giving the Blues a 3-1 lead.
As St. Louis Blues legend Bobby Hull advised him before the Winter Classic: “Grab that biscuit and do something with it. Entertain the people.”
That he did.
The first goal of the game was scored just 62 seconds into the contest by Blackhawks defenseman Michal Kempny, his second of the season, as the puck deflected off Blues defenseman Colton Parayko and behind goalie Jake Allen.
As the Blues and Blackhawks got used to the conditions, the ice, the soft boards and the depth perception with the 46,556 fans in the building, the Winter Classic started to resemble the tense rivalry games we’ve come to expect between these two. That included a David Perron trip of Crawford, who responded with a baseball swing slash – only appropriate, given the setting. There was also a punishing cross-check to the tender back of Jonathan Toews that went uncalled.
The Blues would tie up the game 7:45 into the second period, as Jay Bouwmeester rushed behind the Blackhawks’ net and fed Patrik Berglund with a perfect pass to his sixth of the season.
The third period featured strong goaltending from Crawford, who stopped Tarasenko on a breakaway, and Allen, who snatched a puck out of the air on the Blackhawks power play.
But then Tarasenko struck twice, Alex Steen added an empty netter, and the Chicago Blackhawks dropped to 1-4 in outdoor games. Crawford is now 1-3, despite making 30 saves. Allen stopped 22 shots.
The Blues now trail the Blackhawks by six points in the Central Division.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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