Blackhawks damage playoff chances of Blues

ST. LOUIS — Duncan Keith and the Chicago Blackhawks did their part to spoil the St. Louis’ playoff chances.

The star defenceman scored a power-play goal with 8.5 seconds left and the Blackhawks beat St. Louis 4-3 on Wednesday night.

Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist, Andreas Martinsen and Blake Hillman also scored, and Jean-Francois Berube made 30 saves. The Blackhawks beat the Blues for the first time in three meetings this season.

“We’re trying to win the game,” Keith said. “At the end of the day, it’s a bigger game for them but I thought we did a good job of matching their intensity and for us it’s fun to play in a game like that. There was something on the line so it was a little easier to get the fire going little bit.”

Vladimir Tarasenko and Brayden Schenn each had a goal and an assist for the Blues. They have lost four straight to fall a point behind idle Colorado for the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

Robert Bortuzzo also scored for the Blues, and Jake Allen made 22 saves in his 14th straight start.

“We played terrible in the third from myself out,” Allen said. “It’s unacceptable especially at home against a team that really has nothing to play for except beat us.”

Hillman scored a shorthanded goal, his first in the NHL, midway through the second to cut the Blues’ lead to 3-2. He is the fifth Blackhawk to score his first career goal this season.

“It’s probably the hardest onetimer I’ve ever taken in my life,” said Hillman, who was playing in his second NHL game. “I closed my eyes and it went through a couple of bodies and luckily Allen didn’t see it.”

DeBrincat tied it 3-3 at 8:30 of the third with an unassisted goal, before Keith found the net for the first time in 22 games.

Bortuzzo opened the scoring at 4:16 of the first period with his fourth goal of the season.

Martinsen tied it for Chicago at 8:57 with his first goal of the season, firing a wrist shot that trickled between Allen’s legs after the Blues failed to clear the puck twice.

Schenn regained the lead for the Blues just 47 seconds into the second period, putting home a rebound from Vince Dunn’s shot from the high slot. Schenn’s 27th goal is a career high.

Tarasenko made it 3-1 at 5:44 of the second. St. Louis took advantage of a Chicago defensive line change and Schenn sprung Tarasenko for a breakaway.