Quick-striking Blues hold off rival Blackhawks

Joel Hofer made 27 saves as the St. Louis Blues edged the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 Friday night.

Logan Mailloux and Matt Luff each scored their first goals in a Blues' uniform. Justin Faulk also scored for St. Louis and Robert Thomas recorded two assists.

St. Louis had lost their previous two games by a combined 12-4 score.

Andre Burakovsky had a goal and an assist and Wyatt Kaiser also scored for the Blackhawks, who are 3-7-2 in their last 12 games.

Connor Bedard earned two assists, but he appeared to suffer a shoulder injury during a last-second faceoff.

Spencer Knight made 23 saves in defeat.

The Blues struck first by scoring 3:41 into the game. With a penalty pending against the Blackhawks, Mailloux took a pass from Thomas, moved in on left wing and snapped a shot from the faceoff dot past Knight.

After Chicago killed off a penalty, Luff put the Blues up 2-0 at even strength. He joined the rush coming down the middle, took Robby Fabbri's pass and scored from the slot.

The Blackhawks cut their deficit to 2-1 with 4:10 left in the first period with their own rush goal. Kaiser came down the middle, accepted a pass from Burakovsky and scored coming through the slot.

St. Louis increased their lead to 3-1 midway through the second period. Faulk took a pass from Tyler Tucker in the right circle, attacked the net and slipped a shot past Knight on the short side.

Bedard stole the puck on the forecheck and set up Burakovsky's tap-in at the right post as Chicago cut its deficit to 3-2 with 5:54 left in the game.

Dylan Holloway had an opportunity to finish off the Blackhawks, but he hit the post and crossbar on a breakaway. That gave Chicago an opportunity to remove Knight for an extra attacker and apply pressure until the final horn.

The Blackhawks outshot the Blues, 23-15, over the final two periods.

The rivals have split a pair of meetings in St. Louis and have two more in Chicago when the calendar turns to 2026.