St. Louis Blues Game Preview: Team Aims for Share of NHL Points Lead vs. Winnipeg Jets

The St. Louis Blues finally made their way into first place in the NHL Central Division this week, combining a strong early March run with a 2-8-1 run by the incumbent leaders, the Nashville Predators. On Thursday, evening, they will aim to take the next step in dominance, looking to establish a share in the points lead for the entire NHL, as a win over the Winnipeg Jets will tie the Blues and the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks at 97 points. The Montreal Canadiens also have a chance to become a part of that tie with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

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Though the Jets have put up a good fight against the Blues on all three occasions that the teams have met this year, the Blues are 3-0 in the season series and will look to extend their season undefeated streak on Thursday night. It’s safe to say that the matchup at Scottrade Center between the two teams just nine days ago was the most tightly-contested, as the Blues gave up a three-goal lead during the third period, only to take the win on a miraculous

goal with just over a minute left.

Speaking of Jackman, the 34-year-old defenseman’s absence from the lineup on Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames proved that it’s no longer even worth trying to guess what type of lineup the Blues will put together on a nightly basis down the stretch. Up until Tuesday, Jackman had played in all of the team’s first 69 games, but with the continued solid performance of rookie Petteri Lindbohm and trade deadline acquisition Robert Bortuzzo, along with the need to get recently-returned Zbynek Michalek back up to speed for the playoffs, Jackman unwillingly became part of a blueline rotation against the Flames.

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The defensemen aren’t the only players that are being shuffled around as of late. Roughly half of the team’s 14 forwards are now subject to becoming healthy scratches on a nightly basis as coach Ken Hitchcock tries to put together the best combination.

,

,

,

, and

have been in-and-out of the lineup over the past four games, and if Jackman’s experience is any indication, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that another of the team’s regular forwards—perhaps

—could get a night off as the season wears down.

is expected to start in goal again for the Blues against the Jets. Elliott surpassed

on Tuesday night to become the franchise’s all-time leader in shutouts.

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