CHICAGO, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- Martin Lapointe scored the eventual game-winning goal and added an assist, as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated St. Louis 5-1 at the United Center.
Andy Hilbert and Mark Bell also scored for Chicago, which snapped a two-game skid. Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 32 saves in the win.
Dean McAmmond scored the only goal for the Blues, who have dropped four of their last five games. Starting netminder Curtis Sanford was pulled early in the second period with a hip flexor. He allowed two goals on just four shots.
St. Louis' Keith Tkachuk also suffered a broken knuckle in the second period and is expected to miss six weeks.
Chicago went up 1-0 at the 8:33 mark of the first period on a deflection by Hilbert. Lapointe gave the Blackhawks a two-goal edge just over 10 minutes later.
The Blues cut the deficit in half on a second-period goal by McAmmond, but Chicago reclaimed the lead for good later in the period on Bell's one-timer from the point.
