Blues at Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks look to continue their rapid ascent in the Central Division when they host the rival St. Louis Blues on Sunday in the first of two meetings in five days. Captain Jonathan Toews scored twice in a 47-second span late in the third period as Chicago skated to its fourth straight victory with a 4-3 triumph over woeful Buffalo on Friday.
"He's had a big, big week," coach Joel Quenneville said of Toews, who has three-game winning goals during the Blackhawks' victorious streak. Toews has collected five goals and an assist during his five-game point streak for Chicago, which resides one point behind the second-place Blues and two in back of division-leading Nashville. The Blackhawks could continue their surge if previous meetings at the United Center are any indication, as the hosts are an impressive 11-0-2 in the last 13 encounters. St. Louis enters Sunday's clash on a two-game winning streak, highlighted by Jaden Schwartz's second career hat trick in a 7-5 victory over Dallas on Friday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE BLUES (48-23-7): Patrik Berglund tallied twice versus the Stars and has three goals and an assist in his last two contests while T.J. Oshie is riding high on a four-game point streak which consists of five assists. St. Louis also could receive a boost with the potential return of Alex Steen, who participated in an optional skate on Saturday after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury. Steen, who is the Blues' second-leading scorer, has been held off the scoresheet in all three meetings with the Blackhawks this season.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (48-24-6): Marian Hossa is riding a four-game point streak during which he has scored one goal and set up four others. The veteran tallied twice in Chicago's 4-2 victory over St. Louis on Feb. 8, igniting a string of three consecutive two-goal performances. Corey Crawford owns a sizzling 12-2-3 record versus the Blues and his next victory - his 33rd - will match a career high for wins, which was set during the 2010-11 season.
OVERTIME
1. St. Louis RW Vladimir Tarasenko has missed two games with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.
2. Blackhawks C Marcus Kruger has seven goals this season, with two coming against the Blues.
3. St. Louis G Jake Allen, who is 3-0-1 in his last four starts, will get the nod on Sunday.