Blues rip Blackhawks, gear up for showdown with Avs

[April 07, 2018]  Patrik Berglund's hat trick Friday night lifted the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center in Chicago, earning them a one-point lead over Colorado for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

St. Louis snapped a four-game losing streak with its 44th win of the season, giving it 94 points. The Blues close the season Saturday night in Colorado, where a win or an overtime/shootout loss will enable them to make their seventh straight playoff appearance. A regulation loss would eliminate St. Louis.

Berglund's tie-breaking goal came 16 seconds after Chicago's Erik Gustafsson had tied the score with his fifth goal of the season on a wrister from the left circle that beat Carter Hutton to the short side at 8:08 of the third period.

Robert Bortuzzo's point shot deflected off Kyle Brodziak and right to Berglund at the left post, and he wristed it past J-F Berube.

Jaden Schwartz tacked on his 23rd goal on a wrister at 12:40 to give the Blues some insurance. The tally snapped a seven-game scoreless drought for Schwartz.

Berglund capped the second hat trick of his career with an empty-netter, his 17th marker of the season, at 18:49. He won a puck battle with Duncan Keith along the right boards and chipped a backhander from just inside the blue line that rolled just inside the right post.

Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson (56) defends St. Louis Blues center Kyle Brodziak (28) during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

St. Louis controlled the game most of the night, outshooting the Blackhawks 35-20 and outhitting them 24-8. The Blues could have owned a 2-0 lead early, but failed to convert on point-blank chances with open nets staring at them.

Berglund put them ahead 1-0 at 18:17 of the first period when he deflected a point blast from Joel Edmundson in the high slot. The puck rolled inside the right post as Berube couldn't react to it in time.

Hutton made his first start in a month as starter Jake Allen rested for Saturday night's showdown and made 19 saves. Berube stopped 31 of 34 shots.

--Field Level Media

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