From: jca2@cec2.wustl.edu (Joseph Charles Achkar)
Subject: Blues beat Blackhawks in OT 3-2 -- 12/26
Organization: Washington University, St. Louis MO
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 05:32:25 GMT

12/26/92
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By Dave Luecking
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff
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    CHICAGO -- The Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks are at opposite ends of the
Norris Division standings, but the intensity of their rivalry renders records
virtually meaningless.

    It also makes one forget about the kinder, gentler National Hockey League.

    In a rough-and-tumble game typical of the Blues-Blackhawks battles of old,
the Blues broke through for a 3-2 victory in overtime Saturday night at Chicago
Stadium.

    Defenseman Murray Baron scored the winning goal at 1 minute 35 seconds of
overtime. Brendan Shanahan gave Baron a pass after Brett Hull dug the puck out
of the corner.

    Baron's screened slap shot from the high slot beat goalie Ed Belfour for
Baron's first goal of the season, and the Blues' raced onto the ice in
celebration.

    The victory was a big one for the Blues, ending a winless streak of five
games (0-4-1). It also ended a losing streak of four games at Chicago Stadium,
where they had not won since a 4-1 win on Oct. 19, 1991.

    That also was the Blues' last victory in a Norris Division road game. The
Blues had gone 0-14-4 on the road in the division since that victory over
Chicago.

    The loss ended Belfour's unbeaten streak of nine games -- 8-0-1 -- and
Chicago's winning streak of nine games and unbeaten streak of 12 games --
10-0-2 -- at home.

    Jocelyn Lemieux and Steve Larmer scored for the Blackhawks, whose lead in
the Norris Division dropped to three points. They're 20-13-4 for 44 points,
three ahead of Detroit and Minnesota.

    Baron, Kevin Miller and Brett Hull scored for the Blues, who improved to
12-18-5 for 29 points, one behind fifth-place Tampa Bay with three games in
hand in the Norris Division.

    Hull scored the game-tying goal at 4:18 of the third period to eventually
force overtime. Goalie Curtis Joseph starred for the Blues, stopping 40 shots.
He earned the game's No. 1 star, shutting out Chicago on 17 shots in the third
period.

    The game was typical of the Blues-Chicago rivalry.

    The hitting was hard, and neither team backed down. There were fights on
the ice and in the stands.  There also was a light show, when a fan shot a
pyrotechnic of some sort over the ice. The security people made him pay for
that.

    The rough-housing began in the game's first minute, when Stu Grimson
roughed up Kelly Chase at the end of the play and Chase chased him down for a
fight 26 seconds into the game.

    Later Brendan Shanahan elbowed Jeremy Roenick in retalitation for a hard
check, and Roenick and Baron got coincidental minors for slashing one another.

    Then, before the end of the first period, veteran Lee Norwood tangled with
Stephane Matteau in a lengthy fight that moved from the neutral zone into the
Blackhawks' zone.

    Referee Mark Faucette kept some semblance of control, but he made a curious
call in the first period. He called Steve Smith for interfering with Chase at
about the same time Chicago's Chris Chelios cross-checked Igor Korolev against
the boards from behind. Chelios could have received a five-minute major, but
instead stayed on the ice.

    The second period featured a fight between Garth Butcher and Brent Sutter,
who couldn't throw many punches because Butcher pulled the jersey over his head.

    The Sutter boys were at their Sutter best. Ron Sutter took a 10- minute
misconduct penalty early in the third, and Rich Sutter was at the center of a
scrum involving 11 of 12 players on the ice at 2:24 of the third.

    Bryan Marchment ran Rich Sutter into goalie Ed Belfour as Belfour played
the puck, and a melee nearly ensued. Marchment and Belfour wrestled Sutter to
the ice as teammates converged. In the end, Marchment and Sutter went off with
coincidental minors and 10-minute misconducts. The Blues' Philippe Bozon and
Chicago's Rob Brown also were given 10- minute misconducts.

    The Blackhawks broke the scoreless duel 56 seconds into the second period,
seconds after they had killed a roughing penalty on Christian Ruuttu that had
carried over from the first period.

    Steve Smith started the rush in the Blackhawks zone and passed to Steve
Larmer on the give-and-go in the neutral zone. Joseph stopped Smith's shot from
the left circle, but Smith retrieved the puck and set up behind the net.

    None of the Blues' challenged Smith, who slid a quick pass to Larmer in the
slot, from where he scored his 21st goal of the season. The Blues got that goal
back within 2 1/2 minutes. Faucette penalized Igor Kravchuk for interference at
1:56, and the Blues ended their season-long scoring drought against Chicago
1:15 later.

    Jeff Brown threw a long wrist shot into a crowd in front of the net.
Brendan Shanahan deflected it to Kevin Miller, who swatted the puck past
Belfour at 3:11.

    Jocelyn Lemieux gave the 'Hawks a 2-1 lead on a rebound at 7:17.

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