LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT IN SHOOTOUT

ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Lee Stempniak scored two goals and got the winner in a shootout for the second time this week, giving the Blues a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Petr Cajanek had a goal and two assists for the Blues, who are 8-15-3 at home and won after squandering a 3-0 second-period lead. The Blues, tied for last overall with the Penguins, have won consecutive games at home for the first time all season, and have won consecutive games only twice all season.

The other modest streak for the Blues, who have been stripped of most of their frontline talent to facilitate a sale, was Nov. 16 and 19 at Columbus and Detroit.

Stempniak, whose shootout goal beat the Flames on Monday, beat rookie Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford between the pads on the third round to snap a 1-1 tie. Fellow rookie Jay McClement also scored in the shootout for the Blues, while Radim Vrbata converted a backhander for the Blackhawks.

Duncan Keith had two goals, including a wrist shot from the right point that forced overtime with 4:18 to go, for Chicago. Tyler Arnason had a goal and an assist and Kyle Calder had three assists for the Blackhawks, who have lost four of five.

The teams had four shots apiece in overtime. Keith Tkachuk fanned on a breakaway in the opening minute, the best chance of the period by far.

Stempniak has four of his seven goals in the last three games for the Blues, who got a goal and an assist from Vladimir Orszagh.

The Blues built a 3-0 lead against Crawford, making his first NHL start and second appearance, by the opening minute of the second period. The Blackhawks twice cut the deficit to one in the second period, each time eliciting a response from St. Louis, then scored twice in the third to force overtime.

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