Blues at Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche attempt to remain perfect at home this season when they host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. Colorado has played at Pepsi Center only twice thus far but is unbeaten, posting a 6-3 triumph over Boston on Oct. 11 and a 3-1 win versus Anaheim two days later.
The Avalanche's offense has gone cold since those victories, however, producing a total of two goals in back-to-back road losses against Dallas and Nashville. St. Louis played a rare home game on Wednesday and came away with a 5-2 win over Chicago on the strength of Jaden Schwartz's third career hat trick. The 25-year-old left wing's performance gave him a team-high 11 points and tied him with Vladimir Tarasenko for the club lead in goals with five. The Blues are continuing a season-opening stretch during which they play seven of their first nine contests on the road, where they've lost two straight.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), Altitude (Colorado)
ABOUT THE BLUES (5-2-0): Paul Stastny failed to land on the scoresheet Wednesday, remaining one point shy of 600 for his career. The 31-year-old center has gone two straight contests without a point after beginning the season with a five-game streak. Alex Steen made his season debut against the Blackhawks and registered two shots while finishing plus-1 in 18 minutes, 6 seconds of ice time after missing time with a hand injury he suffered in St. Louis' preseason opener.
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (4-3-0): Tyson Jost returned to the lineup Tuesday in Nashville and recorded one shot and a minus-1 rating in 15 minutes of ice time. The 19-year-old center, who missed two games with bone bruise in his knee, is expected to begin Thursday's contest on the team's top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Defenseman Tyson Barrie is riding a four-game point streak and shares the team lead of six with three other players.
OVERTIME
1. Schwartz and Tarasenko have hit the scoresheet in six of the Blues' seven games this season, with the former recording four multi-point performances.
2. Colorado D Patrik Nemeth is expected to return to the lineup Thursday after missing one game with a shoulder injury.
3. St. Louis' Carl Gunnarsson appeared in his 500th career contest Wednesday and combined with fellow D Joel Edmundson (eight) to block 15 shots.