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Backes’ ugly goal gives Blues overtime Game 1 win against Blackhawks

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David Backes' shot found the back of the net after a deflection and the Blues earned a hard fought victory over the Blackhawks in Game 1.

At minimum, the St. Louis Blues are glad for one, big night that they kept the David Backes when there were trade questions looming.

This bruising, brutal and tight game likely left the Blues’ captain feeling very much in his element, and his game-winning-goal was fittingly ugly.

Backes’ shot bounced off of Trevor van Riemsdyk and went by Corey Crawford, giving the Blues a 1-0 win in overtime.

The Blackhawks carried chunks of the play, yet Brian Elliott was perfect and the Blues managed a bend-but-don’t-break win. They can also move past the refrain of “What if the Blues lose with Duncan Keith out of the lineup?”

St. Louis’ grizzled crew likely knows that the Blackhawks aren’t a team that really gets down whether they’ve lost one, two or three games in a series. But, hey, it’s better to start off up rather than down, even if bigger challenges likely lie ahead.

The Blackhawks realize that it probably won’t be easy for either side.