GDT #36: Blues @ Penguins 6:00 CT Bally Sports, 101ESPN

[theohall]

BLUES The St. Louis Blues opened a back-to-back set on Friday night with a tight loss to the Colorado Avalanche. A 1-1 tie after the first period lasted through the second and most of the third, until Colorado's Devon Toews scored the game-winning goal with less than three minutes to go in regulation.

The Blues played a strong defensive game overall, limiting the Avs to just 23 shots on goal and snapping Nathan MacKinnon's 19-game point streak. However, an 0-for-4 night on the power play - despite a recent uptick - and other missed offensive opportunities made it tough for the Blues to get ahead.

Robert Thomas' shorthanded breakaway goal put the Blues on the board, giving them the NHL lead (along with Calgary) with nine shorthanded goals this season. As his game takes a leap approaching the midway point of the season, Thomas leads the Blues and shares 17th in the NHL with 38 points.

The Blues will have to quickly reset from the close defeat, traveling to Pittsburgh to end the year on a back-to-back finale against the Penguins. The defensive core will have to play without Justin Faulk, who suffered a lower-body injury late in Wednesday's loss.

They return to Enterprise Center to turn the calendar to 2024 against the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 4.

The Blues visit the Penguins with a record of 18-16-1, worth 37 points and sixth in the Central Division.

PENGUINS Though the veteran Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled with consistency this season, they have generated some positive momentum over the last two weeks. A 7-0 win on Long Island on Wednesday was their fifth win in their last seven games (5-1-1), though the stretch also includes a 7-0 loss to the Maple Leafs.

The Penguins, even surpassing the Blues' explosive third period against Chicago, piled on six goals in the second period of their Dec. 27 matchup with the Islanders. Kris Letang made history with five assists in the period - plus one more for good measure in the third - as Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin's two goals apiece led the way to the huge win.

Sidney Crosby, though left out of the scoring frenzy, continues to be a productive point scorer in his 19th NHL season. The 36-year-old forward only trails Guentzel atop the team leaderboard with 35 points in 33 games this season, followed by fellow multi-time Stanley Cup winners Malkin and Letang.

The Penguins begin a back-to-back set of their own in Saturday's matchup with the Blues, concluding on New Year's Eve with another bout with the Islanders.

They host the Blues with a record of 16-13-4, worth 36 points and seventh in the Metropolitan Division.

HEAD TO HEAD The Blues beat the Penguins 4-2 at Enterprise Center earlier this year, led with two goals by Pittsburgh native Brandon Saad. The Blues have lost their last three games in Pittsburgh, but earned points in their previous seven (6-0-1) and are 6-3-1 in their last 10 trips to Pittsburgh overall.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Robert Thomas, who scored his first shorthanded goal of the season on Friday against Colorado. Thomas leads the Blues with 38 points this season, including eight in his last six games.

PENGUINS Kris Letang, who became the first defenseman in NHL history to record five assists in a single period this week. Letang's 20 assists this season shares 11th among all NHL defensemen, including one against the Blues on Oct. 21.

BLUE NOTES
The Blues are 7-3-0 against Eastern Conference this season, including a win over Pittsburgh on Oct. 21

When playing the second night of a back-to-back, the Blues are 2-2-0 this season

The Blues share the NHL lead with nine shorthanded goals this season despite the fewest amount of times shorthanded. Their net penalty-kill percentage, which factors in shorthanded goals, ranks fifth in the League at 88%

Robert Thomas' 32 even-strength points this season only trails Nathan MacKinnon atop the NHL leaderboard