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St. Louis Blues Host Chicago Blackhawks, Look to Tighten Division Race

By Patrick Karraker

Nov 9, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Artemi Panarin (72) and St. Louis Blues right wing Scottie Upshall (10) brawl during the third period at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Artemi Panarin (72) and St. Louis Blues right wing Scottie Upshall (10) brawl during the third period at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 9, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Artemi Panarin (72) and St. Louis Blues right wing Scottie Upshall (10) brawl during the third period at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports /

The St. Louis Blues welcome their fierce division rivals to Scottrade Center for an important game that could tighten up the Blackhawks’ Central Division lead.

The St. Louis Blues host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night at Scottrade Center; it will be the third meeting between the teams this season, and their second consecutive meeting in St. Louis. Their last matchup came on November 9, when the Blues fell 2-1 to the Blackhawks in overtime. The Blues haven’t suffered a regulation loss to the archrival Blackhawks this season, as they defeated Chicago 5-2 in the regular season opener on October 12.

As the teams head into Saturday’s matchup, the Blues will simply be looking to put a dent in Chicago’s comfortable division lead. Despite the fact that goalie Corey Crawford hasn’t played since December 1 and captain Jonathan Toews missed nine games before returning on December 13, Chicago has remained dominant. The Blackhawks, who have won three straight and haven’t lost a regulation game since December 4, currently lead the Central Division and the Western Conference (and are tied for the NHL lead) with 44 points.

The Blues, meanwhile, are tied with the Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central with 38 points. A regulation win would allow them to move within four points of Chicago for the division lead. While that’s not a ridiculously huge concern since we haven’t reached the new year yet, it’d be a solid boost for the Blues, who have struggled a bit with identity issues through the first 31 games of the season.

The Blues were able to pick up some major momentum with a 5-2 comeback win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday. We’ll see if they can keep that momentum going into Saturday. Let’s take a look at what the Blues’ lineup is expected to look like:

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