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Sunday, Mar. 26 1:00pm ET
Pronger's goal preserves Blues' unbeaten streak | |||||
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BOX SCORE
CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago's Jocelyn Thibault was closing in on a shutout when St. Louis' Chris Pronger changed things. Pronger scored with 2:01 left in regulation to lift the Blues to a 1-1 tie with the Blackhawks on Sunday. Pronger spoiled Thibault's shutout bid on a screened 50-foot shot moments after the Blues won a faceoff in the Chicago zone. His drive from just inside the blue line sailed under Thibault's outstretched glove. "It's unfortunate to get beat on a goal like that," Thibault said. "I just saw Pronger get the puck and try to wrist it. That's the last thing I saw." The Blues, who stretched their unbeaten streak to six (5-0-1), had 36 shots while holding the Blackhawks to a team record-tying low of 11 shots. Chicago also had just 11 shots in a 3-0 loss to St. Louis on Jan. 21. "We threw a lot of rubber at them, but couldn't get one until 2 minutes left," Pronger said. "I think we played well enough to win, we just couldn't get anything by (Thibault)." Tony Amonte scored his 39th goal of the season for Chicago, 5-1-2 in its last eight. St. Louis played without leading scorer Pavol Demitra, who suffered a concussion Friday at Tampa Bay when he was checked from behind. The Blues, who have 106 points, were trying to equal their team record for points in one season, 107, set in 1980-81. Amonte, set up by Alex Zhamnov's cross-ice pass, beat Jamie McLennan from the low edge of the left circle 1:49 into the game. Although the Blues outshot the Blackhawks 18-7 through two periods, Thibault faced only a handful of difficult chances through 40 minutes. In the third, however, Thibault was forced to make several tough stops, including two on a point-blank shot and rebound attempt by Bob Bassen with 7:55 left. Despite losing his blocker and stick, Thibault also blocked close-in shots by Scott Pellerin and Al MacInnis with 5:15 remaining. Thibault faced five shots in overtime, including a dangerous one by MacInnis in the final seconds.
"We kept coming and coming and missed some good chances," St.
Louis coach Joel Quenneville said. "Thibault was the story
today."
| ALSO SEE NHL Scoreboard St. Louis Clubhouse Chicago Clubhouse RECAPS St. Louis 1 Chicago 1
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