TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES The St. Louis Blues are in need of a turnaround as they prepare to host the division-rival Colorado Avalanche for the first time this season.
The Blues were able to send in 31 shots on goal - 11 more than their opponents - on Thursday, but Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets came out on top 5-2 as they hold onto the top seed in the Central Division.
"If everybody doesn't come to the rink ready to really compete - move your feet, do things right, be detailed and attentitive - we're not gonna go anywhere," said a frustrated Craig Berube following the game.
Torey Krug will be back in the lineup Sunday after missing two games due to an upper-body injury. Pavel Buchnevich, who has missed two with a lower-body injury, remains questionable but did not practice on Saturday.
Hungry to reset their momentum, the Blues will look to take advantage of a Colorado Avalanche team facing their own adversity in Sunday afternoon's Stanley Cup Playoff rematch.
They host the Avalanche with a record of 12-15-0, worth 24 points and sixth place in the Central Division.
AVALANCHE The Colorado Avalanche have been dealing with a myriad of injuries recently, contributing to an active four-game losing streak as they head to Enterprise Center to face the Blues.
Top scorers Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen have all been out of the lineup, putting a heavy workload on the shoulders of Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar.
In a goaltender battle on Friday night, the Avs lost in a shootout with the New York Rangers. Igor Shesterkin made 41 saves while Colorado's Alexander Georgiev made 29 as a 1-1 score held through the end of regulation and overtime.
"We have to carve out points, but panicking doesn't do you any good," said Head Coach Jared Bednar on their recent struggles. "We're searching for solutions."
The Avalanche come to St. Louis with a record of 13-10-2, worth 28 points and third place in the Central Division.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues delivered an impressive performance in their last matchup with Colorado, winning 3-2 on Nov. 14 at Ball Arena as they were propelled by a 45-save performance by Jordan Binnington. The season series resumes on Jan. 28 in Colorado and Feb. 18 in St. Louis.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Jordan Kyrou, the first Blue to reach double-digits in goals this season and is preparing to suit up for his 200th NHL game on Sunday. Kyrou earned the game-winning goal in the last matchup with Colorado, reaching 10 points in 13 career games against the Avs.
AVALANCHE Mikko Rantanen, leading the Avalanche in goals by a wide margin with 16 on the year. He shares No. 8 in the NHL in goals this season, including one in the previous matchup against the Blues.
BLUE NOTES
Craig Berube will coach his 300th game with the Blues, becoming the fourth head coach in franchise history to reach that mark... Going back to April 5, 2011, the Blues are 19-6-0 in their last 25 games against the Avalanche on home ice... Jordan Binnington's next win in goal will be No. 100 of his NHL career, set to become the sixth goaltender in franchise history to reach the milestone.
The injury-depleted Colorado Avalanche will try to snap a four-game winless streak Sunday when they visit the slumping St. Louis Blues.
The Avalanche have been outscored 15-5 while going 0-3-1. Still, they made strides during their 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers at home Friday night.
Colorado put 42 shots on goal, but Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin stopped 41 of them.
"I thought our execution was way better tonight, especially on the attack," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "Overtime was well managed by our group, I thought -- smart, but still in attack mode. We had three really good looks in overtime, a chance to win the game, but couldn't get one by (Shesterkin)."
The Avalanche are playing without No. 1 center Nathan MacKinnon, who is expected to miss a month due to an upper-body injury. He joined an injury list that includes captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee surgery), forwards Arturri Lehkonen (concussion protocol), Evan Rodrigues (lower body) and Darren Helm (abductor) and defensemen Bowen Byram (lower body) and Josh Manson (lower body).
On the plus side, Colorado forward Valeri Nichushkin returned Friday after ankle surgery caused him to miss 17 games.
"Today was the best game we played with this group for a while, so next game we're going to try and beat today's performance," Bednar said. "We have to carve out points. However long it takes, we have to just continually get better."
St. Louis defeated the Avalanche 3-2 on Nov. 14 in their only previous meeting this season. But the Blues have lost five of their past six heading into this Central Division game at Enterprise Center.
They allowed four or more goals in their past nine games, prompting a strong rebuke from coach Craig Berube.
"As a coaching staff, we're preparing them, we tell them what they need to do against this team, look for it, this is what you've got to do, but we can't go out and play for them," Berube said. "They have to go out and play, as a team, and right now, we're not doing it. We're not doing it enough, we're not consistent enough 100 percent. You lose in this league."
Berube has shuffled forward lines, changed defensive pairings and tested a variety of call-ups from the American Hockey League. But nothing has gotten the Blues back on track.
"We've benched guys and stuff like that here and there. That doesn't change anything," Berube said. "There's too many guys, veteran guys, young guys ... if they don't come to the rink and think about the team and put the team first, we're not going anywhere and right now, I don't see that happening. I think it's just the attitude of the team right now. It's creeped in here and it's just not good right now."
The Blues could get defenseman Torey Krug (upper-body injury) back for this game. "I think he's probably good to go," Berube said after Krug returned to practice.
Winger Pavel Buchnevich (lower-body injury) remains questionable.
