The St. Louis Blues seek their first three-game winning streak of the season Wednesday when they visit a team riding such a tear, the Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks.
After sweeping a two-game homestand from Vegas and Montreal on Friday and Saturday, the Blues aim to maintain that momentum as they begin a three-game road trip.
“I still think there’s another level that we can get to, but it’s encouraging to be able to get four points in back-to-back games, especially when you feel like you’re not even at your ‘A’ game,” St. Louis defenseman Cam Fowler said. “That gives us a lot of momentum moving forward, and we’ll continue to chip away.”
St. Louis entered play Tuesday three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot and one point ahead of suddenly resurgent Chicago.
Wednesday’s winner will secure at least a split of the four-game season series.
Chicago thumped host St. Louis 8-3 on Oct. 15 as Blackhawks forwards Connor Bedard and Lukas Reichel each earned three points. Neither skater will figure into this matchup, however.
Bedard has been out since sustaining an upper-body injury in the final second of the Blues’ 3-2 home win on Dec. 12. He tangled with St. Louis captain Brayden Schenn on a late faceoff in the Chicago offensive zone.
“I feel good, I feel really good,” Bedard told the media after practice Tuesday. “Obviously, getting out there with the guys a little bit today, just keep ramping up, but I feel really good, though. … Hopefully, pretty soon I can get back out there.”
Reichel was traded to Vancouver in October in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
The Blackhawks owned a 13-12-6 record after completing their game on Dec. 12, then proceeded to lose seven of their first eight games without him. Chicago has jelled lately, defeating playoff contenders Dallas, Washington and Vegas in succession by one goal each.
Tyler Bertuzzi registered his fifth career hat trick in Sunday’s 3-2 overtime victory against Vegas, surpassing Bedard for the club lead with 22 goals. Bertuzzi maintains he’s “been sticking with the program, staying even keel, going out and working hard every day.”
In coach Jeff Blashill’s view, Bertuzzi’s approach offers a valuable example to the rest of the locker room, especially the younger players.
“He’s always been a guy who draws you into the fight because of the passion with which he plays,” Blashill said. “You can see that passion. There’s not a fake bone in Tyler’s body, so you see that passion on display (and) our guys feed off that.”
Blues goaltender Joel Hofer started the previous two games against the Blackhawks, going 1-1 with a .824 save percentage and 5.02 goals-against average.
While Hofer’s December effort against Chicago marked a sizable improvement from the first meeting, St. Louis may opt for Jordan Binnington in net. The veteran recorded a 26-save shutout against the visiting Canadiens to stop a personal four-game losing streak that included yielding six goals on separate occasions at division rivals Nashville and Colorado.
“You can always learn from struggling, and that’s what I try to do when that happens,” Binnington said. “I just keep trying to put my best foot forward every day and keep the faith.”
Left wing Dylan Holloway (high right ankle sprain) skated at Blues practice on Tuesday. He hasn’t played since Dec. 12 against Chicago and was placed on injury reserve the following week after suffering the injury in practice.
–Field Level Media
