Finally! The progress of the young Blues paid off with an actual victory, 4-3 in overtime at Chicago.

Many things stood out in that game, including:

• The Blues delivered an explosive start. Rather than stagger out of the gate again, they took charge of the game. They flew around like maniacs, then answered the bell when, predictably, their Joel Quenneville-coached opponent answered with some rough stuff.
• The fisticuffs were good for the Note. Jeff Woywikta took his lumps in his first game back in the NHL, but then his teammates joined in the fun – and pretty soon the Blues turned their frustration into spirited play. Yes, fighting does serve a useful purpose in the sport.
• Andy McDonald was on fire, again. He scored a terrific shorthanded goal, then buried the overtime winner on the power play. He is really feeling it these days, as you saw on that last goal. He wanted the one-time shot, he got the one-time shot and just buried it.
• Cam Paddock scored in his first NHL game after battling his way from the East Coast Hockey League to the bigs. Hockey Guy loves such stories. And coaches love guys like Paddock, since they add a much-needed element of desperation to the mix. Without such players contributing, a team could lose its sense of urgency over the 82-game grind.
• Manny Legace is back! We were all wondering if he was suffering residual problems from The Palin Incident, but he turned in a vintage performance against the explosive Hawks. Good for Manny, good for his team.

Andy Murray wasn’t happy with the road trip bottom line, since the team mustered just three points. But he was happy with his team’s competitiveness, which is big.

WAKE THEM UP

Are any of these guys killing your fantasy team?

AROUND THE RINKS: Ben Bishop’s most recent outing at Peoria was not so good . . . The Toronto Globe and Mail suggests that the wacky Tampa Bay Lightning could enter the Mats Sundin sweepstakes. But shouldn’t that franchise get its own house in order before going after another high-priced superstar? One thing at a time, fellas . . . Derick Brassard is on fire! The Blue Jackets rookie scored his eighth goal of the season as Columbus put a 6-1 beating on the Sabres. Also notable was the return of goaltender Pascal Leclaire, who stopped 36 of 37 shots in that game . . . Senators GM Bryan Murray has an itchy trigger finger. He is exploring trade opportunities to shake up his team. “I’m disappointed,” he told the Ottawa Sun. “I don’t think we’re moving our feet and I don’t think we’re working as hard as we’re capable of working.” And he’s talking about you, Jason Spezza . . . The Blackhawks’ search for another offensive center may intensify after Friday night’s loss. And the Capitals aren’t thrilled with Michael Nylander, so maybe there is a fit there . . . The Devils’ 3-1 loss to the Caps may force Lou Lamoriello to take a harder look at acquiring stopgap goaltender help while Martin Brodeur heals. Chicago is still trying to offload Nikolai Khabibulin and his big salary.