Blackhawks best Blues 3
Left, Chicago Blackhawks right wing Ben Smith (28), celebrates his goal with teammates, after scoring against the St. Louis Blues, during the second period of their game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, at the Scottrade Center, In St. Louis Missouri, on Friday, Apr. 25, 2014. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune / )
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ST. LOUIS -- The Blues and Blackhawks just can't help themselves.
The teams went to overtime for the fourth time this series and this time Jonathan Toews scored the winner to give the Hawks a 3-2 victory in overtime.
His goal came on a breakaway after Dunan Keith sent him a pass on a long rebound. Toews beat the leg pad of Blues goaltender Ryan Miller.
The Hawks led 2-1 after two periods but Alex Pietrangelo beat Corew Crawford glove side to the score 1:42 in the third period with the team on a 4-on-4 following dual roughing penalties on Patrick Kane and Adam Cracknell late in the second period.
The talk that dominated the Blackhawks' room Friday morning revolved around the lack of goals in this series from two of the Blackhawks top threat, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa.
It didn't take long for one of them to answer. Hossa scored the first goal of the night as the Blackhawks have a 2-1 lead after two periods.
Hossa sent in a loose puck in front of Ryan Miller to give the Blackhawks at 16:11 of the first period. It was his first goal of the series. The Blackhawks outshot the Blues in the 9-6 with the Blues getting just one shot on an early power play.
Coach Joel Qunneville stuck with Jonathan Toews, Bryan Bickell and Hossa on his top line while keeping Sharp, Patrick Kane and Ben Smith on his second line to start.
In the second period, T.J. Oshie -- who also hadn't scored in the series -- tied the game with a pretty goal. Oshie put a move on Niklas Hjalmarsson to get by Hjalmarsson in the slot. Oshie lost his footing as he skated toward Corey Crawford's glove side but still managed to get a backhand shot past Crawford.
After the Blues pressured the Hawks and seized momentum, Ben Smith put the Hawks ahead 2-1 with his first goal of the series. Smith backhanded a rebound from Sheldon Brookbank to beat Miller at 17:10.
After missing the last two games since taking a hard hit from Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook, David Backes took the ice in Game 5
Coach Ken Hitchcock had evaded questions about Backes since Backes was injured Sunday in Game 2 but hinted that a return was possible at some point.
The Blues lost both games with Backes out of the lineup. He did not participate in the morning skate. Seabrook is serving his final game of the three-game suspension he drew for his hit.
chine@tribune.comTwitter @ChristopherHine
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