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Rookie Lee Stempniak is taking advantage of the St. Louis
\">Blues' salary purge.
The 22-year-old right wing had his second big game since the trades earlier this week of Doug Weight and Mike Sillinger, scoring two goals and getting the game-winner in the shootout of a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
Stempniak also got the winner in a shootout against the Flames on Monday.
``It's a huge thrill,'' Stempniak said. ``However many goals I have this year, I remember them all and how they went in. I'm still like a kid out there, just amazed by being in the NHL and scoring goals.''
Petr Cajanek had a goal and two assists for the
\">Blues, who are 8-15-3 at home and won after squandering a 3-0 second-period lead. The
\">Blues, tied for last overall with the Penguins, have won consecutive games at home for the first time all season, and have won consecutive games only twice all season.
The other modest streak for the , who have been stripped of most of their frontline talent to facilitate a sale, was Nov. 16 and 19 at Columbus and Detroit.
Stempniak beat rookie Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford between the pads on the third round to snap a 1-1 tie. Fellow rookie Jay McClement also scored in the shootout for the Blues, while Radim Vrbata converted a backhander for the Blackhawks.
Stempniak changed his shootout strategy against the Blackhawks after scoring on a high drive against the
\">BluesFlames.
``A lot of it is just sort of reacting to the goalie, seeing what happens, what's worked,'' Stempniak said. ``I like to watch the highlights and see what works around the league and see if I can practice those and get them to work.''
Duncan Keith had two goals, including a wrist shot from the right point that forced overtime with 4:18 to go, for Chicago. Tyler Arnason had a goal and an assist and Kyle Calder had three assists for the Blackhawks, who have lost four of five.
Coach Trent Yawney called a timeout after the
\">Blues' first two goals, coming 1:22 apart early in the first period.
``They should have been ready,'' Yawney said. ``I could say that how many times this year? The timeout was just to regroup.''
The teams had four shots apiece in overtime. Keith Tkachuk fanned on a breakaway in the opening minute, the best chance of the period by far.
Stempniak has four of his seven goals in the last three games for the Blues, who got a goal and an assist from Vladimir Orszagh.
The Blues built a 3-0 lead against Crawford, making his first NHL start and second appearance, by the opening minute of the second period. The Blackhawks twice cut the deficit to one in the second period, each time eliciting a response from St. Louis, then scored twice in the third to force overtime.
``I settled down as the game went on - at least, I think I did,'' Crawford said. ``Timing was the biggest part of it.
``I just need to get game experience and play more.''
Notes: Scott Young, who got his 19th goal for the Blues, had five of the team's 11 shots in the first period. ... Blues D Christian Backman bruised his right hip in the second period and did not return. ... The Blackhawks began a six-game trip, their longest of the season. ... Four of the Blues' last five games have been decided by one goal, and five the last eight have gone to shootouts. ... The Blues, who lost 3-2 at Detroit on Wednesday, won for the first time in the second game on back-to-back nights. They're 1-10-2. ... Rene Bourque scored his third goal in four games after going without a goal for 19 games, and added an assist for Chicago.
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