CHICAGO (AP) — Sam Rinzel and rookie Anton Frondell scored 2 minutes apart in the second period and the Chicago Blackhawks held on in their home opener for their first win of the season, 4-2 over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
Patrick Kane played his first home game with the Blackhawks since signing a two-year, $16 million contract in July. The 37-year-old forward received a pregame video tribute and a roaring welcome from a sold-out United
Center crowd in his return to the team for which he played his first 17 seasons.
Cole Smith scored a short-handed, empty-net goal with 1:09 left to make it 3-1, but Connor McMichael whipped in a power-play goal with 38 seconds left and goalie Joel Hofer on the bench to cut it to 3-2.
Frank Nazar slid in another empty-netter with 4 seconds remaining.
Spencer Knight made 25 saves for Chicago, which had lost its first three games on the road while being outscored 15-5. Knight stopped Pavel Buchnevich on a breakaway late in the second, and was sharp in the third to keep Chicago ahead.
Mason McTavish also scored for the Blues (1-2). Hofer stopped 17 shots.
St. Louis' Colton Parayko played in 803rd NHL game, matching Barret Jackman for the most in franchise history among defensemen and second overall behind forward Bernie Federko (927 games).
Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teravainen was injured in the second period and didn’t return.
Rinzel drifted to the slot and popped in a rebound of Nazar’s shot to tie it 1-all at 5:40 of the second as a Chicago power play expired.
Frondell put Chicago ahead, firing in a one-timer from the right side off a feed from Artyom Levshunov.
Blues: Host San Jose on Thursday.
Blackhawks: At the New York Islanders on Thursday.
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