St. Louis Blues vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: Game Preview

The St. Louis Blues face the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first of two times this season on Friday night. The Blues, who are currently in the midst of a strenuous portion of the schedule in which they play seven games in 12 days and will have to take six different flights during that period, will look to continue the incredible run they’ve been on thus far during 2015.

St. Louis has still lost only one game during regulation since the first of the year, and they’ve won seven straight since their last loss, which occurred in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings on January 15. With the Nashville Predators losing on Thursday and the Blues defeating the Buffalo Sabres, the Blues moved into a tie for first place in the NHL Central Division.

Columbus has not enjoyed nearly the same success that the Blues have this year, as they sit in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division with 45 points. The Blue Jackets have lost three straight and four of their past five.

If he ends up re-entering the lineup, it will be an opportunity to Joakim Lindstrom to face his former team, who he played for from 2006 to 2008. Coach Ken Hitchcock also coached the Blue Jackets from 2006 to 2010.

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On the Columbus side, it could be an opportunity for Jordan Leopold to face his former team for the first time. Leopold, who began the season with the Blues but was traded to Columbus in mid-November, had been a healthy scratch for roughly six weeks. However, he’s gotten into the Blue Jackets’ lineup for the past two games as an extra forward in place of Matt Calvert, who was dealing with an illness. Calvert is expected to play on Friday, though, so that may mean that Leopold will miss out on an opportunity to play against his former teammates.

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock expressed a desire at Thursday’s morning skate to split the workload during the back-to-back between third-line wingers Ty Rattie and Lindstrom. Lindstrom sat Thursday with Rattie staying in the lineup at Buffalo, so Lindstrom could re-enter the lineup tonight. With that said, the recently-recalled Rattie played his best game yet on Thursday and recorded his first NHL point, an assist on Dmitrij Jaskin‘s second period goal, so he may end up staying in for Friday after all.

Beyond that possible switch, the lineup of skaters should stay the same on Friday. On Thursday, GM Doug Armstrong discussed the possibility that an extra defenseman could be promoted for Friday’s game, but with all the Blues’ blueliners having checked out of Thursday’s game healthy, it’s unlikely that they will call anyone up for the matchup against the Blue Jackets. Brian Elliott will get back in goal against Columbus after Jake Allen shut out the Sabres on Thursday night.

Next: Blues Could Call Up Petteri Lindbohm or Brent Regner Soon