Stanley Cup Playoffs : Blues Get Even With Blackhawks in Two Overtimes, 5-4

Tony Hrkac, like his St. Louis Blues’ teammates, waited for an opening in overtime to square the Norris Division finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“Nobody was in my way, so I just tried to pull the goalie over,” Hrkac said of his eventual winning shot in Thursday night’s 5-4 double-overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. “I saw his glove hand drop, and I just put it over his shoulder.”

Hrkac, who three years ago was voted the nation’s top collegiate star at North Dakota, scored at 33:49 of overtime to square the best-of-seven series at a game apiece.

“You just need to hang in there; the team’s going really well,” said Hrkac, who had been benched for St. Louis’ first six playoff games. “They can’t change the lineup just because one guy wants to play.”

The Blues, who lost, 3-1, to Chicago Tuesday night, outshot the Blackhawks, 56-35.

“We knew anybody could win the game; we just said we’ve got to go out there and play hard,” Hrkac said. “Nothing’s impossible, but it would have made it a little tougher to come back from 0-2.”

Defenseman Brian Benning put St. Louis ahead, 4-3, at 3:59 of the third period off Bernie Federko’s pass, but the Blackhawks knotted the score with 6:41 left on Dirk Graham’s goal.

“We worked hard to come back three times,” Coach Mike Keenan said of his Blackhawks, who never led. “They just played stronger than we did. We were fortunate to be in overtime.”

It was the Blues’ longest home overtime game and Chicago’s first double-overtime since April 15, 1985, against the Minnesota North Stars.