Follow @stlgoalie The Blues travel to Rogers Arena to take on the Vancouver Canucks at 9pm CST. Both teams are struggling, having lost a combined 5 games in a row. The Canucks are the NHL’s worst team in their last 10 games, taking only 6 points out of 20. The Blues on the other hand have taken 12. The Blues have average 4.5 goals per game in the last 4 games but have only split the games 2-2 as a result of giving up 4.75 goals in the same span.
The Canucks will be on their second night of a back to back, having lost 2-0 to the Edmonton Oilers last night. Adding to the difficulty for the Canucks is a plethora of injuries to their defensemen (Alex Edler, Yannick Weber, Luca Sbisa, and Alex Biega. They will also be without center Brandon Sutter. The Sedin twins still lead the Canucks and have combined for 20 goals and 59 assists in 107 games against the Blues. Given that Jakob Markstrom played last night, expect former Blue Ryan Miller to get the start. Miller has an average 3.04 GAA and 90% save percentage against the Blues.
As expected given the circumstances, Brian Elliott will get the start against the Canucks. Elliott has been much stronger than Jake Allen against the Canucks posting a 2.16 GAA and a 91.9% save percentage, well above Allen’s 3.17 and 87.8%. Also Allen hasn’t exactly been tearing it up lately, giving up 13 goals in his last 3 starts with a sub 84% save percentage. On the injury front, Carl Gunnarsson looks to be out, nursing a lower body injury.
My guess for the Blues lines are as follows: Schwartz –Lehtera – Tarasenko Jaskin - Berglund – Backes Fabbri – Stastny -Brouwer Upshall – Brodziak – Reaves Bouwmeester – Pietrangelo Shattenkirk - Parayko Edmundson – Bortuzzo Elliott
Notes from around the league: - Don’t look now but the Kings just passed the Blues, Stars and Hawks in points per game. - The Red Wings have the Flyers in their rear view mirror, one point down for the final wild card spot with the Flyers having 2 games in hand. The Flyers are 8-1-1 in their last 10. - Patrick Kane now has 92 points on the year. Lock for 100 this season?
It’s a great day for hockey.