CHICAGO (AP) — A mistake from the league’s points leader led to a rare late collapse from the Chicago Blackhawks, costing them home-ice advantage.
Now the St. Louis Blues can all but bury the reigning Stanley Cup champions on the road.
With the Blackhawks frustrated following another wild third period – this time not in their favor – the Blues will try to grab a commanding lead in Tuesday night’s Game 4 of a Western Conference quarterfinal series that has been tight since the opening faceoff.
St. Louis gained a 2-1 series edge with Sunday’s 3-2 win in Chicago, offsetting the Blackhawks’ 3-2 victory Friday that briefly swapped home-ice advantage into their favor.
The Blues trailed 2-1 entering the third but rallied with goals from Patrik Berglund and Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz scored on a power play following a costly four-minute penalty from Patrick Kane after he was caught high-sticking defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
Two days after a pair of coach’s challenges went against St. Louis, it rallied to hand Chicago its first regulation loss when leading after two periods since Game 2 of the 2014 West finals against Los Angeles. The Blackhawks were 70-0-4 since the start of last season when leading at the start of the third.
“That was a tough loss,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Let’s get back into it. But it was a pretty competitive game, kind of comparable to what we saw in the first two.”
The separation between these teams continues to be razor thin as each of the last five games have been decided by one goal, four of them St. Louis wins.
While Corey Crawford was sharp again for Chicago with 33 saves in Game 3, Brian Elliott was yet again the difference with a postseason career-high 44. Elliott has pushed aside 105 of 109 shots in this series and has a .956 save percentage in his last five starts against Chicago.
The Blackhawks fired 24 shots at Elliott in Sunday’s second period – Artem Anisimov tallying the only one that reached the back of the net – but that total was sliced in half in the third.
“We’ve got home ice back again,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “To me, that’s the whole thing. We’ve got to find a way to keep it now.”
The Blues will still hold it for Thursday’s game in St. Louis, but their fifth win in six tries at the United Center would create a massive uphill climb for the Blackhawks. Two of the final three games are in St. Louis as the Blues will go for their first playoff series win since 2012.
St. Louis has won its last six road games and is riding a 14-3-0 stretch away from home. To regain momentum, Chicago will need to win for just the third time in its last nine games at the United Center.
The Blues won Game 1 on David Backes’ overtime goal that caromed off Chicago defenseman Trevor Van Riemsdyk’s skate, and they tied Sunday’s contest when Berglund’s shot bounced off defenseman Michal Rozsival’s right leg and past Crawford.
Chicago forward Andrew Ladd hit both goal posts on a single shot Sunday.
“I think all three games could have gone each way … that’s how close it’s been,” Quenneville said. “The margin of error is very limited or very minimal. I just think we’ve got to keep persevering and find a way to get that momentum back here at home next game and turn it around.”