Blues get a couple days to rest after Chicago adventure
Short-handed and exhausted, the St. Louis Blues trudged through another difficult situation to come out on top in their last contest.
A much-needed couple of days off during their road trip helped them get a little bit healthier.
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has been activated for St. Louis as it makes the second stop on a four-game trip against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
The Blues (9-3-1) have been down multiple key players for much of the season and didn't have an answer for Los Angeles in a 3-0 home loss Tuesday. They boarded a charter flight to Chicago for a game the next night, but it was diverted because of fog, forcing them to bus from Milwaukee and arrive at their hotel around 4 a.m.
St. Louis trailed the Blackhawks by three after allowing five first-period goals, then capped a stunning comeback when Vladimir Tarasenko scored in overtime for a 6-5 win.
Alexander Steen scored twice for the Blues, who were outshot 43-29. Jay Bouwmeester scored on the power play after St. Louis went 0 for 21 over its previous six.
"It's a real courageous win," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "I mean with the day or night or whatever you want to call what we had ... guys deserve a lot of credit."
Center Paul Stastny broke his right foot Oct. 16 and will be out at least another couple of weeks, and Jaden Schwartz is months from returning after fracturing his left ankle.
Center Patrik Berglund has yet to play this season because of a shoulder injury, and Shattenkirk has missed the last 10 games with a groin injury. Steve Ott left the Chicago game in the second period with an upper-body issue.
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Shattenkirk, though, was removed from injured reserve Friday and is expected to return against the Predators. The Blues also signed Martin Havlat to a one-year deal.
"Without names like Stastny, Schwartz, Shattenkirk and Berglund in there, all of a sudden it's a 6-5 game," said captain David Backes, who had a goal and an assist. "We're looking to win a 2-1 game or a 1-0 game. That's our wheelhouse. A 6-5 game, we're not going to win too many of those with that firepower out."
Nashville (8-2-2) has played one-goal games in four of its last five and is coming off a 2-1-1 road trip after beating Minnesota 3-2 on Thursday. Cody Hodgson broke the tie with 5:21 left in the third to snap a two-game skid.
In an unusual scheduling twist, that marked the first contest the Predators played within the Central Division.
"It's one of many, but it's a good way to start in the division," coach Peter Laviolette said. "You just had to grind it out."
Pekka Rinne improved to 7-1-2 with a 1.98 goals-against average by making 27 saves. He's won three of his last four starts against the Blues, but wasn't in net for the last meeting Jan. 29 when Nashville fell 5-4 in a shootout despite two goals and an assist from Mike Fisher.
Brian Elliott made 33 saves in that contest. He got the start against Chicago before being pulled with three minutes left in the first period in favor of Jake Allen, who could be back in net against the Predators. Elliott is believed to have suffered some sort of injury in the game when Backes checked Jonathan Toews into him.
Allen made 22 saves to win his only start against Nashville 4-3 on Nov. 13, 2014.
