The St. Louis Blues took an early lead at the United Center on Tuesday and gave it back before the second period was 10 minutes old. Chicago, still looking for its first win of the season, finished the job in a 4-2 decision that closed St. Louis’ opening road trip at 1-2-0.
Mason McTavish put the Blues in front at 15:38 of the first, a wrist shot set up by Connor McMichael. It was McTavish’s second goal of the young season and the only puck St. Louis got past Spencer Knight before the intermission. Joel Hofer, making his second start after a 25-save shutout in Dallas on opening night, kept the game level the rest of the period.
The Blackhawks flipped it in a two-minute stretch in the second. Sam Rinzel tied it at 5:40, with Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore picking up the assists. Anton Frondell then put Chicago ahead at 7:40, a snap shot with helpers from Artyom Levshunov and Teuvo Teravainen, his first of the year. The United Center, still without Connor Bedard (shoulder), finally had something to cheer about after an 0-3-0 start.
St. Louis never fully recovered the territorial edge it had carried out of the first. The top line of Dylan Holloway, Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud was quiet for long stretches, and the Blues spent too much of the middle frame chasing the play after Ross Johnston’s interference penalty. Both special teams stayed off the board early — St. Louis went 0-for-1 on the power play, Chicago 0-for-2 — so the damage was done at even strength.
Chicago added two more in the third. St. Louis got one back and made it 4-2, but the push never produced the tying goal. Knight was the steadier of the two goaltenders when the game tightened, and the Blackhawks’ young defense, with Rinzel and Levshunov both on the scoresheet, played well in front of him.
The loss follows a 6-1 defeat in Colorado on Saturday and undoes some of the tone set by the 4-0 win over Dallas on Oct. 2. St. Louis is still without Alexey Toropchenko (upper body), Tyler Tucker (knee) and Logan Mailloux (hand), which has shortened the forward group and the blue line on an already compressed trip.
The Blues open at home Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Getting the Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud line going, and protecting an early lead the next time they have one, will be the first order of business.
