CHICAGO _ This Blues' season could take some patience and that's exactly what we witnessed in the team's 2016-17 season opener against Chicago Wednesday night.
Everyone is eager to build off last season's trip the Western Conference finals, but the fact that the roster was significantly tweaked this summer means it could take some time before we see a smooth product.
No one expected it to happen in Game No. 1, and it didn't. But give the Blues some credit, as they remained patient with themselves. On three power-play goals and two empty-netters, the Blues outlasted the Blackhawks, 5-2, at the United Center.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Kevin Shattenkirk and Paul Stastny had the three power-play goals on a night when the unit finished 3-for-5. Tarasenko added one of the empty-netters, and Patrik Berglund got credit for the other empty-netter, which Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith knocked into his own net.
Jake Allen, who was injured five nights ago and seemed to be a question mark for the opener, made 17 saves for the victory.
The Blues now return to St. Louis to host Minnesota Thursday night in their home opener at Scottrade Center.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first period, the Blues picked up the game-tying goal from Shattenkirk in the second period and then began dominating play.
Shattenkirk had three goals in the preseason and kept offense going on opening night with a power-play goal. After some quality zone time from the No. 2 unit, the top unit came on the ice and stayed in the Blackhawks' end.
The Blues' new arrangement, with Alex Pietrangelo at the right point and Shattenkirk on the left point, paid off. Pietrangelo held the puck at the top, faked a shot and then dished to his partner for a one-timer.
Shattenkirk's shot knotted the score, 1-1, on a pair of power-play goals.
The Blues outshot Chicago 15-3 in the second period and dominating the play, but one sequence turned sloppy and undid their work.
The Blackhawks had gone more than 10 minutes without a shot on goal when the Blues set them up not only with their first attempt in a while, but a goal.
They gave the puck away in the offensive zone, leading to a Hawks' rush the other way. That chance was snuffed out, but they gave it away again.
Robert Bortuzzo, whose strong training camp earned him a spot in the starting lineup Wednesday, tried to clear the puck cross-ice, but it went onto the stick of Ryan Hartman. Later in the sequence, Hartman found himself in front of the net and buried a shot past Allen for a 2-1 lead.
That's the last time Chicago would lead in the game.
A slew of penalties against the Blackhawks _ three in a span of 1{ minutes _ lead to the game-tying goal by Tarasenko late in the second period and the go-ahead goal by Stastny early in the third.
Chicago captain Jonathan Toews was whistled for slashing with 2:03 left in the period and then Artem Anisimov went of hooking with 1:29 remaining. That meant a 5-on-3 power play for the Blues 1:23 in length, and they wouldn't need all of that allotted time.
Following up his 40-goal campaign a year ago, Tarasenko tied the score, 2-2, with his first of the season on a two-man advantage.
On a set play, Shattenkirk fed the puck down low to Stastny, who pushed it back to Tarasenko in the circle, where he had a wide-open look and ripped a shot past Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford.
Before Tarasenko's arms went in the air, a referee had already put one up, signaling a delayed penalty and another trip to the box. Keith was the culprit this time, guilty of high-sticking, extending the two-man advantage into the third period.
The Blues needed only 55 seconds in the third period to break the 2-2 tie. Anisimov slipped out the box, but Keith remained there for a 5-on-4 man-advantage.
The game-winner came on a shot by Tarasenko, which Crawford knocked down. But standing on the doorstep, Stastny punched in the rebound for his first of the season.
Shattenkirk also assisted on the goal for his third point of the game.
Late in the third period, Tarasenko added an empty-netter after Stastny hit the post. Berglund had the other on Keith's miscue.
That wrapped up the scoring on a night when the Blues stood their ground after giving up the game's first goal.
The Blackhawks got on the board first, converting a power-play opportunity after a slashing penalty by Robby Fabbri.
The Blues' penalty-killing unit took a puck away, but was offsides on the play, bringing the faceoff back to the team's defensive zone.
Toews won the ensuing draw against Stastny. The Hawks worked the puck quickly, and after Allen knocked down a shot by Toews, teammate Richard Panik cleaned up the rebound for a 1-0 lead.
That was one of only two goals allowed by Allen, who earned the win in his first game as the Blues' No. 1 netminder.
