Blues vs. Blackhawks Recap: Spencer Knight's 26 Saves Cash Twice

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 in regulation. Mason McTavish gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead at 15:38 of the 1st, but Chicago answered twice in the 2nd: Sam Rinzel on the power play at 5:40 and Anton Frondell at even strength at 7:40. It stayed 2-1 until the final 69 seconds, when Cole Smith and Frank Nazar both scored into an empty net around a Connor McMichael power-play goal. St. Louis outshot Chicago 28-21, and Spencer Knight made 26 saves. Four DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Cam Fowler under 0.5 points (-145 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Fowler put up 30 points in 82 games last season and was held off the scoresheet in 68% of them, so we took the under on his point line. - What happened: 0 G, 0 A, 2 SOG and a -1 in a team-high 23:04 among Blues skaters, with only 0:16 on the power play. Zero points cleared the 0.5 line by half a point. He had no hand in either St. Louis goal: McTavish scored from McMichael, then McMichael scored from Philip Broberg and Pavel Buchnevich. - Worth watching: Big even-strength minutes with almost no power-play time is the profile we want for a point under. If his power-play role stays this small, the angle is worth another look at a similar price.

ALT: Over 4.5 total goals (alt): CASHED - Our read: Chicago came in having allowed 15 goals through three losses with Connor Bedard on IR, and the main total of 5.5 was shaded to the over. The alt at 4.5 gave us a goal of cushion off that number. - What happened: 6 total goals, 1.5 over the line. This one sweated. The game sat at 3 goals from 7:40 of the 2nd until 18:51 of the 3rd. Smith's empty-netter made it 4, McMichael's power-play goal at 19:22 was the 5th and cashed it, and Nazar's empty-netter at 19:56 made it 6. - Worth watching: Late empty-net scoring can carry an over that looks stuck for most of the 3rd. Chicago's goals-against profile kept this angle alive, but alt overs carry heavy prices, so the number has to be right before we play it again.

Spencer Knight over 21.5 saves (-190 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: This was the safer rung of our Knight save ladder. Chicago had given up 30+ shots a game this year and 30.0 a game last season, so 22 saves needed a quiet Blues attack to fall short. - What happened: 26 saves on 28 shots (2 GA), a .929 save percentage over 60:00. He cleared 21.5 by 4.5. Knight sat at 13 saves after two periods, then made 13 more in the 3rd. Save 22 came at 16:49 of the 3rd. - Worth watching: Knight played all 60:00 and St. Louis put 14 shots on goal in the 3rd while chasing. When he starts against a team that pushes volume late, the lower save rung is the steadier way to play it.

Spencer Knight over 23.5 saves (-105 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Chicago was allowing 32.3 shots a game this season, and Knight had faced 36 and 28 shots in his first two starts, making 32 and 24 saves. - What happened: The same 26 saves, 2.5 over the line. At 61 confidence this was a longer shot that landed. Save 24 came on the power play at 19:15 of the 3rd, after a Roman Kantserov tripping call at 17:37 put St. Louis up a man. - Worth watching: Near even money, this rung needed the Blues to keep pushing late, and they did. It is worth a look again at a similar price with Knight confirmed, but expect it to run closer than the 21.5.

How the game played out

The 2nd was the swing period. Ross Johnston's interference call at 3:40 set up Rinzel's power-play goal at 5:40, and Frondell put Chicago ahead two minutes later. St. Louis held a 14-4 shot edge in the 3rd, but Knight made 13 saves in the period and the only puck that beat him was McMichael's power-play goal at 19:22. Joel Hofer made 17 saves on 19 shots for St. Louis, and both Chicago insurance goals went into an empty net.

Trends to watch

• Special teams were even. Each team scored once on two power-play chances, and the late Kantserov penalty fed both the McMichael goal and Knight's late save total.
• Goalie workload leaned toward Chicago's net. Knight faced 28 shots to Hofer's 19, and Chicago still blocked 13 more, so Blues volume is worth tracking for future Knight save props.
• Blues blue-line usage: Fowler logged a team-high 23:04 but just 0:16 on the power play, while Adam Jiricek got the most power-play time among St. Louis defensemen at 2:44.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. See the NHL board, read more NHL recaps, or brush up on how an alt line works.