A night after taking the penalty that allowed Montreal to beat his team, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews scored a bombastic overtime game-winning goal to give his team a crucial two points. Toews and the Blackhawks came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the St. Louis Blues, an eliminated team that nonetheless would have loved nothing more than to hurt their division rivals’ playoff chances.
Instead, they received an empty charity point while bolstering Toews’ Hart Trophy argument. This win doesn’t clinch a playoff spot, but it does give them some space in front of the 10th-place Dallas Stars while eliminating the Calgary Flames from the playoff picture.
Chicago 4, St. Louis 3 (OT)
The 2-0 game was turned on its head when officials allowed a controversial Marian Hossa goal to stand. Hossa kicked the puck toward the net, but it was a tough call to say whether or not he touched the puck before it (seemingly?) crossed the red line. The Stars were able to survive against the Anaheim Ducks thanks to disallowed goals, so it would be interesting if they die by the video review too.
David Backes and T.J. Oshie (who also had an assist) started the scoring off for St. Louis, but that Hossa goal ignited Chicago. Tomas Kopecky and Nick Leddy (also with an assist in the game) ended up scoring in the second period as well.
The Blues wouldn’t just roll over, though, as Chris Stewart scored a highlight reel goal by powering through the Hawks’ defense to send the game to OT. Toews wouldn’t be denied on his breakaway goal, though.
The race between the Blackhawks and Stars isn’t over yet, although Chicago is now in seventh place with 95 points and two games left. Still, this win was a big one for the defending Stanley Cup champions and it shouldn’t be surprising that Toews ended up being the hero.