St. Louis Blues vs Los Angeles Kings
When: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, January 12, 2017
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, Sportsnet360, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PREDICTION: Kings 2, Blues 1

Oddsmakers currently have the ST LOUIS listed as 120-moneyline favorites versus the LOS ANGELES, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.

LOS ANGELES — The St. Louis Blues and the Los Angeles Kings meet Thursday at Staples Center as both attempt to get back on track after poor home performances in their previous contests. The game is second of their three-game season series, with the Blues capturing a 1-0 victory on Oct. 29 with Jaden Schwartz scoring the lone goal.

The Blues (21-16-5) ended a six-game home stand on a sour note with a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. They posted a 3-3-0 record on the stand and have played mediocre hockey since early December, going 7-8-2 since Dec. 3 primarily due to poor defensive play and goaltending (24 goals against in their last 7 games).

The Los Angeles game is the start of a three-game California road trip that includes visits to Anaheim and San Jose and concludes Sunday as the team tries to find consistency in their play.

“We win one and then we get away from our game,” said captain Alex Pietrangelo after the Boston loss. “Mentally, we were ready to play from the start. I think we’re making bad decisions with the puck and other teams are taking advantage of it.”

St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock pointed to starting goaltender Jake Allen’s struggles as an additional reason for the team’s recent play. Allen was pulled in the Boston loss after surrendering three goals on 11 shots and is feeling the pressure as the number one goaltender after Brian Elliott was dealt to Calgary in the offseason. His .904 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average are career-worst numbers.

“He’s not stopping the puck right now,” said Hitchcock. “Probably some of it is confidence, for him it the first time that things have not gone smoothly in his career, he’s going to have to battle like the rest of us. We can help out too by playing better in front of him.”

The Kings (20-17-4) have similar challenges, losing two of their first three games of a seven-game home stand to sub-.500 teams, the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. In their 6-4 loss to Dallas Monday, Los Angeles had poor performances from their defense (Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin registered -4 ratings) and goaltending (Peter Budaj surrendered 5 goals on 22 shots before being pulled in the third period) continuing a long stretch of inconsistent play.

Since Dec. 1, the Kings have an 8-7-3 record as they continue to struggle to produce offensive consistently. Their 102 goals rank third worst in the Western Conference, only ahead of the cellar-dwelling Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche. Only 2017 All-Star Game selection Jeff Carter (22 goals) and Tanner Pearson (11 goals) have registered double-digit goals and speculation has surfaced that the organization is pursuing trade options to prop up its floundering offense.

“Jeff Carter has been carrying this team and it seems if he doesn’t get a goal no one steps up and fills that void,” said forward Jordan Nolan. “We win two, win three, then lose two, lose three. It’s starting to get a little old. We’re starting to get to crunch time here.”

Since winning Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014, every season holds high expectations for Los Angeles and, with them presently outside the top three Pacific Division qualifiers for an automatic playoff qualification, the sense of urgency around the team is dialing up during this home stand. They have a solid 12-6-1 home record and the importance of finishing this stretch of home game strong with nine road games in their next 10 games following their Jan. 18 game against the San Jose Sharks.

“We have to put a stretch of wins together,” said captain Anze Kopitar. “We still have four game at home, so we have to make sure we take care of business. We’re not as nearly consistent as we need to be.”

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St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 11, 2016
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota

TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Wisconsin, FSN North-Plus (Minnesota)
PREDICTION: Wild 2, Blues 1

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — If there’s kryptonite that affects Minnesota Wild star goaltender Devan Dubnyk, it might be in the form of the St. Louis Blues.

On Sunday afternoon, Dubnyk and the Wild get their third crack at the Blues this season and are still looking for their first win. Dubnyk is the hottest goalie in the league of late, leading the NHL in all major statistical categories. But in 17 career starts against the Blues, he is 4-11-2 with a 3.58 goals-against average and .883 save percentage.

The Blues come to Minnesota with a 3-1-1 record in December and in the midst of a four-game road trip. They are coming off a 4-1 victory in New Jersey on Friday night which saw defenseman Brad Hunt make his season debut for St. Louis.

Hunt was leading the AHL offensively with 29 points in 23 games. He’s likely to stick with the Blues until they get healthier, with defensemen Carl Gunnarson missing the last game with a lower-body injury, and Robert Bortuzzo expected to miss the next six weeks with the same ailment.

The knock on Hunt is his size, but at 5-9, 185 pounds, the Blues hierarchy said he compares favorably to one of the Minnesota blueliners he will face on Sunday.

“He’s taller than (Minnesota’s Jared) Spurgeon, and everybody in our league would like Jared,” Blue coach Ken Hitchcock said after the New Jersey game, praising his team for their physical play. “We played the game that we’re capable of and we had everybody dug in, playing the same way and we scored goals. The harder we check as a team, the more we score.”

The Blues’ three-goal final margin versus the Devils would be a noteworthy cushion for the Wild, who have played six consecutive one-goal games.

“All the games are like this. How many times have we had more than a one-goal game? I don’t remember,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said after his team eked out a 3-2 shootout victory over Edmonton on Friday.

While he’d certainly like his team to find more breathing room, Boudreau likes the demeanor in stressful situations that his team is learning in his first season in Minnesota.

“But if anything, it teaches you how to be calm in a one-goal game, whether you’re up a goal or down a goal, whether you’re pushing or protecting,” Boudreau said. “So, I mean, I think it’s good experience and good help for everyone.”

While the Blues are dealing with a banged-up blue line, Minnesota looks to be getting healthier. They’ve played six games without Christian Folin, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Folin, though, began skating in practice and participated in warm-ups prior to the Edmonton game. It’s a good bet he will be back on the ice to face the Blues.

It will also mark Mike Yeo’s return to Xcel Energy Center for the first time since the Wild fired him last February. Yeo was Minnesota’s coach for four full seasons, and is now Hitchcock’s top assistant in St. Louis.

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St. Louis Blues vs New York Islanders
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, December 8, 2016
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), MSG-Plus (New York)
PREDICTION: Islanders 3, Blues 2

NEW YORK — The New York Islanders have spent the last week proving they can play with the best teams in the Eastern Conference. On Thursday night, the Islanders will get a chance to see how they stack up against the red-hot St. Louis Blues, who are the second-best team in the Western Conference.

The Islanders will host the Blues for the only time this season when the two teams square off at Barclays Center. Both clubs won Tuesday, when New York extended its point streak to five games with a 4-2 win over the New York Rangers while St. Louis kept rolling with a 3-2 overtime win over the East-leading Montreal Canadiens.

The Islanders (10-10-5) have gone 4-0-1 in their last five games — a stretch in which they’ve beaten the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, all of whom currently occupy a playoff spot — to climb out of the NHL basement and move to the fringe of the East playoff race.

“It gives our guys a little bit of confidence that we can play with some of the top teams, record-wise, in the East,” Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said.

Despite the recent surge, the Islanders still have a long road ahead if they want to reach the playoffs for the third straight season. New York is eight points behind the Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, who are tied for the two wild card berths.

“Means we’ve got a lot of work still to do,” Islanders center and captain John Tavares said. “We’ve had some ups and downs and some frustration to start the year, some results we didn’t get and some things maybe not go our way. Certainly playing a lot better hockey and we know we can still be a lot better.”

Results-wise, it’s hard to fare much better than the Blues (15-7-4) have lately. St. Louis is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games dating back to Nov. 15 to move within three points of the Chicago Blackhawks, who lead both the Central Division and the Western Conference.

Much like the Islanders, the Blues are looking to see if their recent play is sustainable. The game Thursday begins a four-game road trip for St. Louis, which is just 3-6-1 away from Scottrade Center. Six of its final nine games before the Christmas break will be on the road.

“It’s going to be a real test for us,” Blues goalie Jake Allen said. “Obviously, things haven’t gone great for us on the road this year. It’s a great opportunity to keep this thing going we had on our homestand.”

The Blues would like to keep it going without the drama that accompanied the 4-0-1 homestand that concluded Tuesday. Four of the five games went to overtime.

“My biggest fear is we’ve had to put a lot of energy into these games. a lot of overtimes, a lot of 3-on-3 stuff, a lot of anxiety, a lot of close games,” Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We’ll see where our energy is. We’ve got to be really careful with ourselves right now.”

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Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, November 28, 2016
Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, Missouri

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NHL Network, Sportsnet, TVA, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PREDICTION: Stars 5, Blues 4

Oddsmakers currently have the Blues listed as 160-moneyline favorites versus the Stars, while the game’s total is sitting at 5½.

ST. LOUIS — Opponents generally know that one of the biggest keys to beating the St. Louis Blues is to find a way to shut down their leading scorer, right winger Vladimir Tarasenko.

Teams have more than Tarasenko to worry about now, however, because of the way the combination of left winger Jaden Schwartz, center Paul Stastny and right winger David Perron are playing since being placed on a line together.

Shutting down that line will be the challenge for the Dallas Stars when they visit the Blues on Monday night.

In his last seven games, Perron owns two goals and eight assists. Schwartz, in his last six games, scored five goals and assisted on three more. Stastny adds two goals and two assists in his last five games.

The three forwards combined for all three of the Blues’ goals in regulation on Saturday night before Perron scored the only goal in the shootout in a 4-3 win over Minnesota.

Perron recorded at least one point in his last seven games, the longest active streak in the NHL. He is second to Tarasenko in scoring for the Blues with six goals and nine assists this season.

“It’s going good,” Schwartz said. “We’re getting chances. Both guys (Stastny and Perron) are smart players, can make plays in tight areas, working hard for each other. Stas is doing a great job on faceoffs, he’s taking a lot of (defensive) zone draws, winning a lot of faceoffs, doing a lot of little things.

“We haven’t been together for certain times in a game, or we’ll switch wingers, but we’re getting some good reads off Perron.”

The play of the three forwards helped the Blues go 9-1-2 at home this season, including wins in their last four games.

“If you look at the way he (Schwartz) is scoring, and Paul too, I think both of them, they’re creating a lot of offense by going around the net,” said defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. “I think when we’re getting the puck there and we’re getting bodies in front, you have guys with that type of vision, they’re going to find the puck like that.”

Trying to find the right combination of his forwards is the challenge for Stars’ coach Lindy Ruff, who shuffles Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza and Patrick Sharp into different spots in the lineup.

“Right now, we just aren’t quite clicking to put a game away,” Ruff said. “It’s going to start with the Seguins, the Benns, Spezza, Sharp, those guys. Until our top guys can push through and make a difference, our games are going to be a lot tighter and we re going to be a little up and down.”

The Stars scored just one or two goals in four of their last six games. They are coming off a 2-1 win at home over Vancouver as they begin a four-game road trip.

Dallas made one roster move on Sunday, recalling defenseman Stephen Johns from the Texas Stars of the AHL. Johns played in 16 games with the Stars earlier this season before being sent to the minors.

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St. Louis at Chicago
When: 7:30 PM ET, Sunday, April 5, 2015
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 3, Blues 2
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Oddsmakers currently have the Blackhawks listed as 150-moneyline favorites versus the Blues, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.

Chicago won its last outing, a 4-3 result against the Sabres on April 3. Bettors who backed the Blackhawks at -290 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (7) sent OVER bettors to the payout window.

Marian Hossa is riding a four-game point streak during which he has scored one goal and set up four others. The veteran tallied twice in Chicago’s 4-2 victory over St. Louis on Feb. 8, igniting a string of three consecutive two-goal performances. Corey Crawford owns a sizzling 12-2-3 record versus the Blues and his next victory – his 33rd – will match a career high for wins, which was set during the 2010-11 season.

Team record: 48-24-6
Current Streak: won 4 straight games.
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Chicago is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago’s last 6 games at home
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing St. Louis

In their last action, St. Louis was a 7-5 winner on the road against the Stars. Bettors on St. Louis at -105 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (12) sent OVER bettors home happy as well.

Patrik Berglund tallied twice versus the Stars and has three goals and an assist in his last two contests while T.J. Oshie is riding high on a four-game point streak which consists of five assists. St. Louis also could receive a boost with the potential return of Alex Steen, who participated in an optional skate on Saturday after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury. Steen, who is the Blues’ second-leading scorer, has been held off the scoresheet in all three meetings with the Blackhawks this season.

Team record: 48-23-7
St. Louis is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games on the road
St. Louis is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
St. Louis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago

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Barret Jackman said his eyes were closed when his first career playoff goal sailed past Jonathan Quick and into the net with 50.6 seconds to go in a 2-1 victory Thursday night. It gave the Blues a 2-0 series lead against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.

“He probably didn’t think I was going to shoot, the way my hands are,” Jackman said. “The building erupted, and it’s a pretty good feeling.”

Quick knows he’s to blame for the Kings’ predicament. He was often spectacular in Game 1 but spoiled it with a stickhandling gaffe that led to Alexander Steen’s short-handed overtime goal. Quick thought he would glove the puck on Jackman’s innocent-appearing wrist shot.

“I’ve got to stop that. I’ve got to stop that,” said Quick, the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy recipient. “It’s my fault. Two games in a row. I’ve got to be better.”

Jackman, a rugged, stay-at-home type who totaled three goals and 12 points in the regular season, joined a rush and scored off a pass from Chris Stewart.

“A great little floater he sent to the net,” said teammate Patrik Berglund, who had tied it earlier in the third period. “A great screen so he couldn’t see it.”

Berglund’s deflection tied it early in the third period for St. Louis, which was swept by the Kings in the second round last season while getting outscored 15-6.

“We stole one there,” said forward David Perron, who assisted on the first goal. “The biggest thing is to come back as soon as we can to earth and get ready for Game 3.”

Dustin Brown scored for the Kings, who’ll try to rebound in Game 3 on Saturday night.

“It’s our own fault that we’re in this position,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “We’ve been fully prepared for their game, fully prepared for what they’re going to do against us, and we just haven’t stepped up to the plate.

“Tonight was a better effort, but we were only good for two periods.”

The Kings led 3-0 in every playoff series last year and are down 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time since 2002, when they lost in seven games to Colorado.

“It’s four games to win a series, so we’ve just got to focus on the next one,” Brown said. “We’ve got to take care of our home ice. That’s it.”

The Blues responded after coach Ken Hitchcock called a timeout with just less than three minutes remaining. They have won eight in a row at home, allowing one goal in each of the eight games.

Brown lost his edge on a drive to the net and barreled into Brian Elliott midway through the third period, leaving both players shaken up a bit. Brown recovered quickly enough to stay on for the ensuing faceoff.

Berglund tied it at 3:44 of the third with his fourth career playoff goal, charging the net and having a rebound go off his skate and past Quick. He was skidding to a stop when Quick poke-checked a wrist shot by Alex Pietrangelo, and it took less than a minute for the goal to be upheld on video review.

Jaden Schwartz lured Quick out of the net on a break-in a little more than a minute later but didn’t get off a shot.

Quick was bent over in pain for several seconds during warm-ups after stopping a shot, then left the ice early. The goalie also spent most of the national anthem bent over as if he were an NFL offensive lineman but then busily went to work scratching the crease with no evidence he was hurt.

Elliott was not made available to media after the game, leading to speculation he was injured, but Hitchcock said, “He’s fine, no problem.”

The Kings got off to a much better start in Game 2, carrying the play most of the first period. They needed just 6 seconds to convert on a 5-on-3 advantage for their first lead of the series, with Jackman whistled for interference on the heels of a high-sticking call on Ryan Reaves.

L.A.’s strong play carried over to the second period, with Quick making a nice glove save against Steen on the Blues’ lone shot on two power plays.

The Kings threatened on break-ins by Brown and Justin Williams. Brown, among the league leaders with eight power-play goals, then deflected Brad Richards’ high wrist shot from the slot, and the puck dropped to ice level and slid between Elliott’s pads at 9:55. Richards had two goals and three assists during the Kings’ three-game sweep of St. Louis in the regular season.

Game notes

Blues penalty killers had to stop just two chances in Game 1, although it would have been three if Steen hadn’t pickpocketed Quick for the NHL’s first short-handed winner in overtime since Fernando Pisani of Edmonton against Carolina in the 2006 Cup finals, and the first in franchise history. … Blues did not sell out either of the first two games, with attendance of 18,681 for Game 2 about 1,000 shy of capacity. … Brett Hull, the Blues’ career leading goal scorer, was introduced to a huge ovation late in the second period.

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Well back and way out of the playoff race, Colorado is making things difficult for teams in or contending for a playoff spot.

Because if they don’t play inspired hockey, they run the risk of incurring the wrath of veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere again.

Jamie McGinn scored twice, Giguere stopped 29 shots and the Avalanche prevented the St. Louis Blues from wrapping up a playoff spot with a 5-3 win on Sunday night.

Colorado is 3-0-2 against teams jockeying for postseason position since Giguere recently boiled over and bristled about his team’s lackluster play. They definitely received his message.

“All it means is we can play against anyone in this league if we put our minds to it,” Giguere said. “If we skate, play the system the way it’s supposed to be and we’re on the same page, then we can compete against any team in this league. That’s something we should be excited about, something we should build on.”

Cody McLeod, Matt Duchene and Chuck Kobasew also scored for the Avalanche, who chased Brian Elliott from the game late in the second period. It was Colorado’s eighth straight win over the Blues at Pepsi Center.

David Backes, Jaden Schwartz and Kevin Shattenkirk had goals for St. Louis, which could have secured a postseason berth with a win over a Colorado team that’s last in the Western Conference.

After Elliott, one of the top goaltenders this month, gave up a fourth goal, the Blues pulled him in favor of Jake Allen. He allowed Kobasew’s third-period goal that gave Colorado a 5-3 advantage.

Giguere made the lead hold up down the stretch.

Elliott resembled the Elliott of three months ago, the goaltender scuffling in net, and not the one with an 8-1 mark in April along with a 1.01 goals-allowed average entering the game. He had three straight road shutouts before McGinn broke the scoreless streak midway through the opening period.

“We just didn’t play as good as a team,” Elliott said. “That’s not how we want to play. Obviously, it’s frustrating not getting the win and clinching a playoff spot like we had a chance to do tonight. That’s what’s frustrating.”

The Blues play the Avs again in two days.

“You can’t dwell on this too much, you have to take (the loss) for what it is and learn from it,” Elliott said. “This is not the time of year to have a team effort like that. From the goalie out, we have to be better.”

St. Louis was uncharacteristically careless with the puck, committing several turnovers that led to goals. The Mile High City hasn’t been particularly kind to the Blues, who’ve not won in Denver since April 12, 2009. Coach Ken Hitchcock said part of the reason is that his team tries to play a fast-paced tempo with the Avs, instead of their own game.

Colorado had the Blues in chase mode, especially after building a 4-2 lead after two periods. Giguere bottled up the Blues, but Shattenkirk made things interesting by scoring on a wrist shot from the blue line to make it 4-3 midway through the third.

Kobasew ended the drama by banking in a shot off Allen nearly 4 minutes later.

“Wasn’t one of our better games,” Hitchcock said.

The Avalanche’s recently inspired play has something to do with Giguere’s motivational rant — and even more to do with plain, old pride.

“When you go on a downward spiral like we did there for a while, it’s tough to get out of,” Duchene said. “You get in a terrible mindset that’s really hard to overcome.

“A little while ago, we accepted our fate and we started playing good hockey and knocking off good teams. It’s good to go into next season like this. We need to continue to press and play well.”

McGinn gave Colorado a 1-0 lead in the first period when his left skate deflected a shot past Elliott. The officials quickly reviewed the goal and upheld the ruling. It was the first road goal Elliott allowed in more than 200 minutes.

Backes tied the game when he coasted up the middle and lifted a shot by Giguere. But McLeod put Colorado back on top just before the end of the period, tipping a shot past Elliott.

These days, that hasn’t been an easy task.

Elliott has been a completely different goaltender since his return from a one-game stint in the minors late last month. Before he went down to the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League, he was hardly seeing any playing time and when he got into goal he wasn’t effective, going 3-6-1 with a 3.65 goals-against average.

But Elliott figured some things out and has been stonewalling opponents all month. His eight wins are the second-most by a Blues goaltender in April, one behind Brent Johnson (2001-02).

“Brian got rid of the anxiety of getting ready for a game,” Hitchcock explained after the morning skate. “He’s resurrected the season for us. He’s really been the story here in the month of April.”

Elliott’s turnaround also has coincided with the arrival of defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who was acquired from Calgary on April 1.

For Bouwmeester, the change of scenery has been quite pleasant, considering he went from a scuffling Flames team to a squad that could soon be headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“It’s been fun. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Bouwmeester said.

Game notes

McGinn also had an assist, giving him his second three-point game of the season. … McLeod has scored four times in his last four games. … Backes had an assist to go with his sixth goal of the season.

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The 35-year-old Redden was placed on waivers this week by the New York Rangers, who bought out the final two years of his contract on Thursday.

Also on Friday, the Blues released 35-year-old defenseman Colin White, who was brought in for a tryout earlier this week. White is three games shy of 800 over 12 NHL seasons. He played in 54 games for the San Jose Sharks last season after 11 seasons with the New Jersey Devils.

Redden, who spent the past two seasons with Connecticut of the AHL, had five goals and 35 assists in 156 regular-season games with the Rangers over two seasons after he signed a six-year, $39 million deal to leave Ottawa.

Under the new labor deal, Redden will earn a pro-rated $3.341 million this season plus two-thirds of the $5 million he was set to earn next season. In 994 career NHL games over 13 years, Redden has 106 goals and 344 assists.

“Wade is a solid two-way defenseman,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Friday. “We believe his experience will complement and add stability to our defensive core.”

Redden is scheduled for a physical on Sunday, a day after the Blues open the season at home against the Detroit Red Wings. He was the second overall pick by the New York Islanders in 1995.

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