Let's Go Blues

TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES
While the St. Louis Blues would like to have had more success recently against some teams sitting lower in the standings, they have reason to feel confident heading into a matchup against one of the NHL's best, the Carolina Hurricanes.

With Carolina sitting third place in the League standings as of Friday afternoon, the Blues have another chance to show they belong with the League's top talent. They've recorded wins against four of the other five teams in the Top 6 this season.

The Blues opened their season with a 5-3 road win against the No. 1 Colorado Avalanche.

With a win and an overtime loss against the Florida Panthers, the Blues captured three out of four possible points against the League's No. 2 team.

They split the season series 1-1-0 against No. 5 Toronto, but carried a plus-3 goal differential across the two games.

After a close loss on the road to the No. 6 New York Rangers, the Blues dominated their home matchup and also hold a positive goal differential.

As the Playoff picture continues to iron out and the postseason approaches, it is undeniably important for the Blues to be at their best when their competition gets to its strongest.

The Blues carry a 35-19-9 record (79 points) into Saturday's matchup with Carolina.

HURRICANES
After an impressive 9-1-1 stretch bridging February and March, the Carolina Hurricanes encountered some difficulty in the last week. Dropping a season-high four games in a row, they ended the skid with a win over the Lightning before falling in a shootout to Dallas on Thursday night.

Despite an extreme difference in shots on goal, Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood - recently acquired from the Arizona Coyotes - put on a show to keep Dallas in the game. Wedgewood made 44 saves on 47 shots from Carolina, while Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen made 12 saves on 15 shots faced.

Wedgewood denied all three shootout attempts to secure the win.

The Hurricanes' plus-32 shot differential that night was the highest mark among their 22 total losses this season.

Carolina's defense will prove a good challenge for the Blues' offense. Both are sitting in the NHL's Top 5 total goals allowed and scored, respectively.

The Hurricanes enter Saturday's matchup with a record of 42-15-7, good for 91 points and first place in a talented Metropolitan Division. Their game in St. Louis will mark the first of a three-game road trip, which will continue in Washington and Tampa Bay.

HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues fell to the Hurricanes early on this season, losing 3-2 in a tight battle on the road on Nov. 13. The game marked Justin Faulk's first time back in Carolina since coming to the Blues.

The Blues are 5-2-0 in their last seven games against the Hurricanes and have won three straight meetings between the clubs at Enterprise Center.

Saturday will be Carolina's first visit to St. Louis since Feb. 4, 2020.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Vladimir Tarasenko scored a goal in Thursday's loss to Philadelphia after missing two games, moving to fifth place outright in points in Blues history (497). Tarasenko has 55 points in 56 games played this season, including one goal in the Nov. 13 matchup in Carolina.

HURRICANES Sebastian Aho, the young forward leading the Hurricanes in points. The 24-year-old has 63 points in 61 games this year, including two points in the Nov. 13 win vs. St. Louis.

BLUE NOTES
The Blues are 5-2-0 in their last seven games against Carolina, winning the last three matchups at Enterprise Center... The Blues share fifth in the NHL with 44 points at home this season (20-8-4), while they slot fourth in home goals per game (3.69)... The defensive pair of Faulk (plus-20 - T-8th) and Torey Krug (plus-20 - T-8th) are both near the top of the League in home plus/minus overall.

The St. Louis Blues have not gotten the results they're looking for in recent games. The same can be said for the Carolina Hurricanes as the teams square off Saturday night in St. Louis.

But while the Hurricanes are somewhat content with how they have played despite the results as they continue to lead the Metropolitan Division, the Blues are not at all satisfied with some of their recent efforts, leaving their third spot in the Central Division vulnerable.

"The work ethic wasn't there," St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk said after Thursday's 5-2 home loss to Philadelphia. "The compete level and the intensity wasn't there from a lot of guys. I'm very much in that group."

The Blues have won only one of their past five games (1-2-2).

The Hurricanes are coming off a 1-1-2 homestand, falling twice in shootouts. They have won just one of the past six overall (1-3-2).

"Always at this time of the year it switches over and it becomes a grind type of mindset," Hurricanes forward Derek Stepan said.

Carolina has outshot its last three opponents by considerable margins. Yet the cumulative edge of 132-62 in shots produced only one victory. The Hurricanes have just six goals to show for all of those shots.

"We're in a little bit of a rough patch right now, but we know that's the way we need to play," defenseman Brady Skjei said. "I think we're all still confident. If we play like that, we're going to win a lot of hockey games. We all know that."

Left winger Teuvo Teravainen is third on the Hurricanes with 49 points, but he only has three assists across the last eight games.

St. Louis has scored the fifth-most goals in the NHL this season.

"It has been a little bit of a theme, starting slow and then thinking we can score our way through," Faulk said. "Certainly at times that's going to happen. To think that's going to continually happen and think you're going to be on the right side of things more times than not, that's not true."

So tightening up on defense is a priority for the Blues.

"We'll keep working and get through it," St. Louis captain Ryan O'Reilly said.

They also need to start games with a heightened sense of urgency, Blues coach Craig Berube said.

"You can't just give teams a 2-0 lead," Berube said. "Our job is to work and try to change it."

This matchup with the Blues marks the beginning of Carolina's three-game road trip against playoff-level teams. The Hurricanes are 0-3-1 in March road games.

The Hurricanes could see more from forward Max Domi, who was on the fourth line for his debut with Carolina on Thursday night against Dallas after arriving in a trade from Columbus.

"That line was good," coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "He just needs some time to figure out how we play a little bit."

The Hurricanes beat the Blues 3-2 on Nov. 13 in Raleigh, N.C.