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Power-play goals lift Blackhawks over Blues

Sep 28, 2006 - 2:48 AM ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- A poor power play was one reason the Chicago Blackhawks suffered through another losing campaign last season. But that seems to be changing.

The Blackhawks scored three power-play goals in a 3-2 preseason victory over the St. Louis Blues.

Rene Bourque, Jeff Hamilton and Radim Vrbata cashed in on the man advantage for Chicago, which has three power-play goals in each of its last four games.

Last season, the Blackhawks' 12.2 percent power-play efficiency rate ranked last in the NHL. In six preseason contests, Chicago is 14-for-54 (25.9 percent) with the extra skater.

Bourque's tally gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 5:06 of the first period. Hamilton and Vrbata added power-play goals 87 seconds apart early in the second period for a 3-1 advantage.

Chicago defenseman Adrian Aucoin assisted on all three tallies.

Doug Weight and Bill Guerin scored power-play goals for the Blues, who went 2-for-10 on the man advantage. Guerin had four goals in St. Louis' 5-3 win over Atlanta on Sunday.

St. Louis Petr Cajanek, who had a goal and three assists Sunday, set up both tallies.

Weight returned to the Blues as a free agent this summer after being traded to the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes on January 30.