CHICAGO (AP) -Andy McDonald helped the St. Louis Blues end a draining road trip on an up note.
McDonald scored his second goal on a power play 2:15 into overtime to give the St. Louis Blues a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night, ending their trip 1-3-1.
"That was an intense hockey game," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "I'm exhausted. I don't think there's game in this five-game trip we haven't battled. We were rewarded tonight because we stuck with it."
With Chicago's Dave Bolland off for hooking, McDonald fired the winner past Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin on a low shot from the right circle.
McDonald, David Perron and Cam Paddock scored in the first period for the Blues, who ended a six-game winless slide (0-5-1). St. Louis's last victory was on Oct. 25 versus Florida.
"The last road trip I thought we played pretty well and didn't get the results," McDonald said. "The guys were pretty emotional."
Bolland scored his first two goals of the season and assisted on Dustin Byfuglien's score. Bolland's second goal, early in the third period, tied the game at 3.
The Blackhawks have not lost in regulation in six games (4-0-2) and remained unbeaten in regulation at home this season (6-0-4). The Blues' Manny Legace stopped 32 shots. Chicago's Khabibulin blocked 26.
The Blues pounced on the Blackhawks' early mistakes and sluggishness to open a 3-1 lead after the first period.
"We started a little slow tonight and dug ourselves a hole," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said. "We can't blame anyone but ourselves for our slow start and the penalties we took."
McDonald's short-handed goal opened the scoring 3:49 in. He fired a shot from the right circle over Khabibulin's shoulder and into the top left corner of the net.
Perron made it 2-0 2:30 later when his shot from the left circle slid between Khabibulin's pads.
Byfuglien cut it to 2-1 at 7:09. He completed a 2-on-1 break with Andrew Ladd by taking Ladd's cross-ice pass and one-timing it inside the right post.
Following a Blackhawks' turnover at their blue line, Paddock made it 3-1 at 10:24 by banging in a second rebound past Khabibulin. Paddock had been recalled from Peoria of the AHL on Thursday and was making his NHL debut.
Bolland's scored the lone goal of the second on a short-handed breakaway at 6:05 to cut it to 3-2. Kris Versteeg chipped the puck up to Bolland, who skated in and tucked the puck between Legace's outstretched right pad and the left post.
Bolland scored his second goal of the season, on a one-timer from the right circle, at 2:41 of the third to tie it at 3.
With just under two minutes left, Legace made a close-in save on Patrick Sharp during a Chicago power play.
Notes: St. Louis LW Paul Kariya missed his fourth game with an injured foot. Blues RW Dan Hinote sat out his first with a lower-body injury. ... Chicago D Brent Sopel returned after missing two games with an undisclosed injury. ... Blues D Jeff Woywitka skated against Chicago after being recalled from Peoria of the AHL on Friday. ... The crowd of 22,260 was Chicago's tenth sellout in 10 home games.
