BLUES (28-15-8) at BLACKHAWKS (32-15-4)
TV: NHLN, TVA Sports, FS-MW, WGN
Season series: The St. Louis Blues (1-1-0) and Chicago Blackhawks (1-0-1) split the first two games. The Blues won 6-5 at United Center on Nov. 4 when Vladimir Tarasenko scored at 3:54 of overtime. St. Louis trailed 5-2 but scored three goals in the second period. The Blackhawks won 4-2 at Scottrade Center on Nov. 14 in defenseman Duncan Keith's return from surgery to repair a torn right meniscus; he opened the scoring. Tarasenko leads St. Louis with three goals and four points in the two games. Right wing Patrick Kane leads the Blackhawks with two goals and three points.
Blues team scope: St. Louis is looking to rebound from a 2-1 shootout loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Friday that ended a three-game winning streak. The Blues didn't practice Saturday; they've played 15 games in the past 28 days and will get eight days off after playing the Blackhawks. St. Louis is dealing with injuries to goalie Jake Allen (lower body) and forward Jaden Schwartz (right-ankle fracture). Allen, Schwartz, forward Steve Ott (hamstrings) and forward Magnus Paajarvi (upper body) are out. "It's kind of that time of year when the bumps and bruises start showing," goalie Brian Elliott told the Blues website. "Guys are playing their hearts out, blocking shots, and that's when you get those little injuries that can mess with things. Lucky we've got one more game here we can battle [through] before our break, and guys can kind of heal up." Elliott is expected to start for the eighth straight game since Allen was injured Jan. 8. Elliott is 5-1-1 with a 1.86 goals-against average and .944 save percentage during the stretch.
Blackhawks team scope: Chicago has lost its past two games after winning 12 in a row, the longest streak in its history. The Blackhawks were outscored in those games at the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers by a combined 6-1, on back-to-back days. Chicago has played 13 games in January, 15 in the past 28 days, and has gotten one two-day break since Christmas. The Blackhawks didn't practice Saturday and have used one off day for practice in January. They're opting for rest over repetition and hoping to restore energy for the final two games before getting five days off during the All-Star break. "We know it's a big one [against St. Louis]," captain Jonathan Toews told the Blackhawks website. "We know what to expect against that team and we're looking for a bounce-back from these two games, so the motivation's right there." Goalie Corey Crawford is expected to start.
For three weeks the Chicago Blackhawks couldn't lose. Following back-to-back defeats, they must find a way to win again.
The Blackhawks have been able to do so regularly at United Center, where they'll try for a season-high seventh straight victory Sunday night against a rival St. Louis Blues team that continues piling up points.
Chicago (32-15-4) averaged 3.9 goals during a franchise-record 12-game win streak that ended with Thursday's 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay and was followed by a 4-0 defeat at Florida one night later. The latter matched the most lopsided defeat of the season for the Western Conference leaders, who have yet to drop three straight in regulation.
"(The streak) is over," veteran forward Marian Hossa said. "We have to forget about it and get a new one. We have to be way better.
"Obviously we had a good stretch of games, (now) everybody is ready for us."
Coach Joel Quenneville and his players admitted they lacked energy in the finale of a three-game, four-day trip. One night after being held to a season-low 18 shots, the Blackhawks recorded 15 of their 27 in the first two periods and trailed the Panthers 3-0 after the opening 20 minutes.
"If you can win that many games in a row, especially against the teams we were playing against, you can take a lot of good things away from it," captain Jonathan Toews told the NHL's official website. "We didn't do the right things the last couple of games and you see what happens."
With two games left before the All-Star break, Chicago must rebuild some momentum leading into that down time.
"Let's get re-energized and refocused," Quenneville said. "(Sunday) will be a good test and a good matchup."
Sporting a 20-5-1 mark at United Center, Chicago has outscored its opponents 23-9 to win all six January home games.
One of its few home blemishes came against St. Louis (28-15-8), which overcame a 5-2 first-period deficit to win 6-5 in overtime Nov. 4. The Blues appeared in position to win their fourth straight Friday, but Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon tied the game with 53.7 seconds left en route to a 2-1 shootout loss.
"You play 60 minutes like that - well 59 - and you don't come out with a win," said Brian Elliott, who made 40 saves. "It's frustrating but it's a lesson that you have to put teams away."
Despite the disappointing finish, the Blues have earned at least one point in five straight road games and are 5-1-4 in their last 10 overall.
"We're getting points. That's all that matters," coach Ken Hitchcock said.
Elliott is 5-1-1 with a 1.86 goals-against average as a starter since Jake Allen was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury Jan. 9. However, Elliott was pulled after yielding four goals on 11 shots in 17 minutes at Chicago this season.
Teammate Alexander Steen had two goals in that contest and has two in the last three games after going nine straight without one.
St. Louis, though, hasn't scored a power-play goal in five straight contests and is 2 for 25 in the last eight.
The six goals Corey Crawford allowed to the Blues at home matched a career worst, but he had 29 saves in a 4-2 win at St. Louis on Nov. 14. Crawford, who watched Friday after his nine-game win streak ended Thursday, is 8-1-0 with a 1.55 GAA this month.
Including the playoffs, NHL scoring leader Patrick Kane has six goals and six assists during an eight-game point streak against the Blues.
