ST. LOUIS — In an exciting encounter on Saturday night, Radek Faksa made a pivotal contribution by scoring in the 10th round of the shootout, leading the St. Louis Blues to a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
The match saw the Blackhawks rally in the third period with goals from Alec Martinez, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ilya Mikheyev, which allowed them to gain a 5-4 advantage. However, the Blues responded valiantly, with Robert Thomas netting an equalizer with under five minutes remaining in regulation, bringing the score to 5-5.
The Blues showcased a well-rounded offensive effort, with scores also from Cam Fowler, Philip Broberg, Nathan Walker, and Mathieu Joseph while goaltender Jordan Binnington turned away 15 shots.
For the Blackhawks, Ryan Donato contributed with a goal, while both Mikheyev and Nick Foligno registered two assists each. Arvid Soderblom was busy in the net, making 35 saves throughout the contest.
In the first period, Chicago quickly took a 2-0 lead after goals from Smith and Donato within a mere 38 seconds of each other. Donato has been showing strong performance as he accumulated eight points in just four games played.
Key observations from the game included the Blackhawks extending their streak of consecutive games scoring, making them one of only two teams, along with the Dallas Stars, yet to face a shutout this season.
On the Blues’ side, this victory marked just their second win in the last eight contests.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred during the second period, as the Blues dominated with an impressive 17-3 shot advantage, even hitting the post three times.
A noteworthy milestone was achieved by Ryan Suter, who played in his 1,500th career game during the match. This places him among an elite group as he became the 22nd skater and seventh defenseman in NHL history to reach this significant benchmark. Furthermore, he is the first player in Blues franchise history to achieve this feat and stands out as the third American-born player to reach 1,500 games, joining the ranks of Chris Chelios and Matt Cullen. At the age of 40, Suter is currently the oldest player in the NHL and has participated in all 56 games this season, contributing one goal and nine assists to his team’s efforts.
Looking ahead, both teams will embark on a two-week hiatus for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. The Blackhawks are set to face off against the Blue Jackets on February 22, while the Blues will host the Jets in their next game.
