ST. LOUIS (AP) - Corey Crawford has the Chicago Blackhawks on an early season roll.
Crawford stopped 27 shots and Artemi Panarin scored 25 seconds into overtime, leading the Blackhawks over the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Wednesday night for their seventh straight win.
Crawford won his sixth consecutive game while improving to 15-5-5 against the Blues.
Chicago has earned a point in nine straight games, thanks in part to Crawford, who has given up just six goals in his last six contests.
“He’s been phenomenal,” Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook said. “He’s been the backbone.”
Crawford made 11 stops in the third period, including a sliding kick save on Vladimir Tarasenko while nursing a 1-0 lead.
“I’m in a good spot right now,” Crawford said. “I feel good. I’m reading plays (well). I’m patient when I have to be and aggressive when it’s time.”
Crawford is 7-3-1 this season.
“He has been outstanding, instrumental in winning most of these games,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. “Again tonight, a couple of big saves.”
Panarin whipped a wrist shot from the slot past Jake Allen for his sixth goal of the season. The tally came just 1 second after St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo left the penalty box.
Allen said he never saw the shot.
“I just heard it hit the net,” Allen said. “It was a tough way to go.”
Panarin, a Russian-born winger, does not speak English. His usual interpreter, center Artem Anisimov, left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.
“He’s day-to-day,” Quenneville said. “He’ll be all right.”
Pietrangelo tied the game with 2:11 left in the third on a drive from the point that squeezed past Crawford, who got a piece of the shot.
Marian Hossa pounced on the rebound of a shot by Gustav Forsling and followed it in for a 1-0 lead early in the second period. It was his seventh goal of the season and sixth in the last seven games.
“We’ve been in a lot of those games, close the whole way,” Quenneville said. “We seem to always find a way to get two points at the end of the night.”
Chicago has outscored opponents 30-15 during this nine-game run.
“It feels nice to have a streak like this,” Seabrook said. “We keep getting it done. Every game is big and all the points are big.”
Allen made 28 saves for the Blues. He played well but has lost three of his last four and fell to 5-4-2.
This is the Blackhawks longest winning streak since they won 12 in a row from Dec. 29, 2015 to Jan. 19, 2016.
St. Louis is struggling after starting the season with three successive wins.
“We’re taking way too many penalties when the game is on the line,” coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We’re having to extend a lot of energy with a short bench. It is not a good recipe.”
NOTES: Anisimov had a career-high 11-game point streak snapped. … St. Louis LW Alexander Steen is one goal shy of 200 for his career. … The Blues placed D Joel Edmundson on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks. … The teams will meet on Jan. 2 in the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium. … Chicago D Duncan Keith has 11 assists, tops among all defensemen. … The Blues have hit the goalpost or crossbar 15 times this season, tops in the NHL.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: Host Washington on Friday night in the first of back-to-back home games.
Blues: Play at Central Division-rival Nashville on Thursday night.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.