Blackhawks vs. Blues: 3 things you need to know
The St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks meet Saturday for the first time since the opening round of the 2014 playoffs, when Chicago defeated St. Louis in six games.
The Blackhawks are coming off their first regulation loss, while the Blues are trying to avoid a three-game losing skid.
Here are three things you need to know:
No Love Lost
The Blues and Blackhawks were very evenly matched in the playoffs, with four of the six games requiring overtime. That kind of hotly competitive series breeds animosity, which came to a head in Game 2 when Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook took out St. Louis captain David Backes with a high hit.
Seabrook received a match penalty on the play and was suspended for three games, while Backes missed the next two games, during which the Blackhawks were able to even the series at two games apiece. The Seabrook hit became something of a catalyst as Chicago won four straight to advance.
Hockey players tend to have long memories, so the festering wounds from last season's playoff battle are likely to color what should be another close matchup between two of the Central Division's most talented teams.
Chicago's Discipline
One of the keys to Chicago's recent run of success is discipline. The Blackhawks have finished near the top of the league in fewest penalty minutes per game for the last two seasons despite playing a physical game, and they lead the NHL through six games with an average of 6.7 penalty minutes.
Maintaining that discipline will be very important against the Blues, who possess a potent power-play unit. The only team more efficient than St. Louis with the man advantage is Pittsburgh as the Blues have converted on seven of 25 opportunities, with defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk involved in five of those goals.
The Blackhawks have one goal on six road power-play opportunities, suggesting they can't afford to trade penalties if they want to prevail against their division rival.
Blues Without Stastny
St. Louis' last two defeats coincide with the loss of Paul Stastny, who was placed on injured reserve on Friday after hurting his shoulder last Saturday in a victory over the Arizona Coyotes.
Stastny signed a four-year, $28-million deal with the Blues in the offseason and the move was paying off early. He recorded four points in four games before suffering the injury, which is expected to sideline him for at least a month.
Stastny's injury creates a hole in the middle of St. Louis' lineup. Jori Lehtera centered the second line on Thursday, but he lacks the offensive awareness to be an effective playmaker like Stastny.
The only Blues goal in two games without Stastny was scored on the power play. St. Louis could be in for a very long month unless it can start producing at even-strength.