TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES Jordan Kyrou scored two goals and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves on Thursday, but the St. Louis Blues dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night at Enterprise Center.
It was the Blues' first loss when leading by multiple goals this season. Nashville erased a 2-0 deficit in the second period.
"I think in the first period, we kind of dictated the play of the game," Kyrou said after the matchup. "We were forechecking hard, we were all over the puck making plays. I think the second period, we kind of let off the gas a little bit. We gave them some leeway and they scored those two goals."
Despite the loss, the Blues were still in first place in the Central Division as of Friday with an 8-2-2 record (18 points). The team will face Carolina on Saturday night before returning home for a Sunday evening matchup with the Edmonton Oilers.
HURRICANES The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the League's hottest teams this season.
Carolina lost at home on Friday to the Philadelphia Flyers, falling 2-1 at PNC Arena. The loss was just the Hurricanes second of the season. Their 10-2-0 record has them sitting in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 20 points.
Andrei Svechnikov leads Carolina in points this season, netting 15 (seven goals, eight assists) in the 12 games he's played. Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Anderson is 9-2-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .938 save-percentage this season for the Hurricanes. The Blues could see backup Antti Raanta on Saturday night as Anderson played Friday vs. Philadelphia.
HEAD TO HEAD The Blues are facing an Eastern Conference team for the first time since March 9, 2020 when they met the Florida Panthers.
St. Louis has won five of their last six games against Carolina, including a 6-3 win in their most recent meeting on Feb. 4, 2020. The Blues have won four of the last five games at PNC Arena.
Since Craig Berube took over behind the Blues bench, St. Louis has the Western Conference's second-best record against Eastern Conference teams (31-16-6).
FAULK'S FIRST VISIT
Defenseman Justin Faulk is playing in his third season with the Blues, but Saturday's game will mark the first time he's returned to PNC Arena to face the Carolina Hurricanes.
"We were supposed to go there just after we got shutdown [due to the pandemic] a couple years ago," Faulk told stlouisblues.com. "I haven't been able to go back to play, and I haven't gone back to visit yet, either."
Faulk was drafted by Carolina in the second round (No. 37 overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft and spent the first eight years of his career with the Hurricanes, posting 85 goals and 173 assists (258 points) in that span.
"I want to beat them, that's for sure," Faulk added. "They're playing really well… not the most fun team to play against, that's the style they have and what they've built there, but we're ready to go."
BLUE NOTES
With a 5-1-1 road record, the Blues have the NHL's third-best road winning percentage this season (.786). The Hurricanes rank first with a 5-1-0 record… Vladimir Tarasenko will play in his 544th game as a Blue on Saturday, passing Keith Tkachuk for 18th in team history. Tarasenko has 12 points in 11 games this season… Faulk's next goal will be the 100th of his NHL career.
The Carolina Hurricanes haven't been in this situation often in the opening weeks of the season.
They're trying to shake off a rough period that cost them a game.
In order to recover, the Hurricanes must conquer the visiting St. Louis Blues on Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C.
The Hurricanes have won 10 of their first 12 games for the best start in franchise history. But they failed to protect a 1-0 lead Friday night, losing at home to the Philadelphia Flyers, 2-1.
"We hold ourselves to a higher standard than what we showed in the third period," Carolina center Steven Lorentz said. "You could tell after that first couple of minutes of the third period we were back on our heels, and that's not how we play."
Sure enough, a 28-13 edge on shots through two periods didn't produce enough on the scoreboard for the Hurricanes.
"I think we got a little complacent," Carolina center Vincent Trocheck said. "We got a little too cute and made a few too many turnovers in the neutral zone and our own end."
That seemed unusual for a team that had excelled at nearly every turn this season.
"It's just frustrating that we got off our game," coach Rod Brind'Amour said.
Carolina is 5-1-0 in home games. Saturday night's game will be its last on home ice for more than two weeks.
And there's a decision to make for Brind'Amour. Frederik Andersen has been one of the top goalies in the league this season, but the Hurricanes would rather not use him on back-to-back nights.
The backup goalie is Alex Lyon, who hasn't played an NHL game this season. He has 22 career NHL games as his background.
"We have a great team coming in who's sitting there waiting," Brind'Amour said. "It's going to be a huge challenge. We'll turn the page."
The Blues have alternated wins and losses in their past eight games. If that trend continues, that means they'll win Saturday.
But cranking up a consistent offense would be preferred for the Blues. They've scored more than three goals just once over their past eight games.
When the Blues tighten up in the defensive end, good things tend to happen.
"If we keep that going for the full 60, I think we have a real good chance of winning every night," Blues center Robert Thomas said.
But the Blues didn't protect a 2-0 lead in Thursday night's overtime loss to Nashville. It seems to be a matter of maintaining aggressiveness.
"We want to be quick," center Jordan Kyrou said.
St. Louis center Ryan O'Reilly has been back for three games since missing time because of COVID-related protocols. He doesn't have a point in those outings, but he has averaged 18:57 of ice time per game during the past week.
"Being out 10 days with COVID, and the energy levels," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "He has played lots of hockey right away and hard minutes. I think it's one of those things. He'll get his energy soon."
This game will mark a return to Raleigh for former Hurricanes All-Star Justin Faulk, a defenseman for St. Louis. He's a former team Most Valuable Player with Carolina.
This will be the last game during a stretch of five road outings in six games for St. Louis.
