Just 24 hours after boosting their playoff chances with a 3 - 1 win against the Nashville Predators the Jackets dropped an important contest in St. Louis to the Blues. St. Louis holds the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and extended their lead over Columbus to three points following their 3 - 1 victory.

Marian Gaborik, who potted a goal and added an assist in his Columbus debut Thursday night, followed up with an assist on Columbus' lone goal Friday. Artem Anisimov tallied the marker for the Jackets with the other assist going to Vinny Prospal making it an All-Former-Rangers goal.

Chris Steward put the Blues on the board 3/4 of the way through the second with a PP goal. It was the team-leading 16th goal of the season for the power forward.

David Backes netted what would ultimately be the game-winner just 11 seconds after Anisimov knotted the score late in the second period. Backes slipped the puck between Bobrovsky's pads while lying on his back in the slot in front of the Columbus goaltender.

Columbus needs points in a bad way and dropping this one to a team they are chasing in the standings hurts. It's getting to be a little late in the season to only take away some positives from a game but that's all Columbus was left with following the loss.

Todd Richards liked the effort if not necessarily the results:

"I don't know if we were less sharp, less crisp," Richards said. "I thought effort-wise and things we wanted to accomplish in the game, we were executing."

Columbus tried to replicate the script they employed in Thursday night's win over Nashville where they dominated the Predators in the third period and pulled away for the win. Down 2 - 1 heading into the final frame Friday night, the Jackets outshot St. Louis 8 - 3 and had some good chances but Blues netminder Jake Allen was equal to the task. Columbus even had a late PP opportunity but failed to tie the contest up and even allowed a late shorthanded goal with Bobrovsky off the ice for the extra attacker.

The loss stings as Columbus wasted a chance to leapfrog over St. Louis into the 8th spot in the Western Conference. The Jackets are one of five clubs all within two points of each other and all outside the playoff bubble. Another disadvantage Columbus has is they've played more games (38) than all but one of the teams they are chasing in the standings. Three of the four clubs in the mix with Columbus on the outside have also played fewer games than Columbus giving them a better chance of making up ground than the Jackets.

It won't be easy but Columbus has come too far to give up now. A month ago the biggest question surrounding the Jackets is whether they would select Seth Jones or Nathan MacKinnon with the #1 pick in the draft. Now it's can they complete their improbable run and make it to the postseason. Columbus' next chance to answer that question in the affirmative comes tomorrow as they host Minnesota at Nationwide Arena.

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