Blues complete home schedule with a thud

The AssociatedPress

ST. LOUIS -- Nathan Dempsey and Chris Simon each scored twice and rookie goalie Michael Leighton won his first career game as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the slumping Blues 6-4 Thursday night.

The Blues trail the Avalanche by three points for fourth place in the Western Conference, and home-ice advantage for the first round. But St. Louis is 0-2-1 in its last three games, giving up two late goals in a tie with the Oilers on Monday and losing by four to the Red Wings on Saturday. The normally defensive-minded team has given up 17 goals in that span.

St. Louis wasn't helped enough in its home regular-season finale by the return of Keith Tkachuk, out nine games with a wrist injury. Tkachuk scored on a third-period power play. The Blues, who got two goals from Pavol Demitra, are 0-2-1 since Chris Pronger returned.

Theo Fleury had three assists for the Blackhawks, only 7-15-3-3 since February and long eliminated from playoff contention. Chicago scored on two of the first six shots against Chris Osgood and fought off a second-period rally by the Blues.

Osgood, acquired from the Islanders at the trade deadline, has been in goal in each of the last three games. With the Blues trailing 5-2 after two periods Thursday, he was replaced by former No. 1 goalie Brent Johnson. Martin Bell scored on the second shot Johnson faced at 2:18 of the third period for a four-goal lead.

Leighton won for the first time in five career decisions, although he had a shutout in a scoreless tie with the Coyotes in January. He faced 45 shots, one short of the Blues' season high.

Dempsey, who has five goals, missed the previous four games with a strained groin. He scored the game's first goal with a wrist shot through traffic just 2:24 into the first period, and made it 4-1 off a rebound midway in the second on a Blackhawks power play, converting a setup from Fleury.

Simon got his 11th on a deflection in of the first period and scored on the Blackhawks' first shot of the second period for a 3-0 lead.

Notes: The Blues have given up the game's first goal in 45 of their 80 games. They're 22-14-6-3 under that scenario. ... The Blues installed new netting behind the nets for the game, improving visibility. Previously, the netting had been black and the new setup is monofilament, or similar to fishing line in consistency. ... The Blackhawks finished with 36 road points, two more than last season. ... On Dec. 18 at Anaheim, the Blues had their season high of 46 shots in 5-2 loss.