Blues at Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks continue to walk the tightrope known as the Western Conference postseason race and hope to improve their precarious perch when they host the St. Louis Blues on Monday. Anaheim dropped both games of a road trip - 4-2 against Nashville on Thursday and 2-1 versus Dallas on Friday - and is third in the Pacific Division, one point behind second-place San Jose but one point from dropping out of playoff position in the West.
"This time of year, we have (13) games left, every game matters, and I don't think we have any excuses anymore," Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour told reporters Friday after Anaheim let a 1-0 lead midway through the third period slip away. St. Louis is coming off a resounding 7-2 victory at Los Angeles on Saturday for its second victory in the last 11 games (2-7-2) and sits three points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with three teams to pass. "I thought I was dreaming there with all that offense," goaltender Jake Allen, who suffered shutout losses in three of his previous four starts, told reporters. Anaheim has won three straight meetings, including 3-1 and 3-2 in St. Louis this season with John Gibson stopping 66 of 69 shots.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet West; FS Midwest (St. Louis), Prime Ticket (Anaheim)
ABOUT THE BLUES (36-27-5): Coach Mike Yeo on Saturday reunited the line of center Brayden Schenn, Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz for the first time since December and the unit combined for two goals and three assists. Tarasenko had one of each Saturday and leads the club in goals (27) and points (58) after recording three goals and two assists in his last five games. Schwartz (20 goals, 49 points in 48 contests) had a goal and two assists against Los Angeles, giving him two and five respectively in his last five games while Schenn (24 goals, 57 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in the last three contests.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (34-23-12): Rickard Rakell (club-most 30 goals) saw his five-game goal streak in which he scored eight times come to an end Friday, but recorded an assist in his 300th NHL game to increase his team-high point total to 59. Ryan Getzlaf (50 points) scored his 10th goal of the season Friday, giving him two goals and 12 points during a five-game point streak. Gibson (25-16-6, 2.49 goals-against average, .926 save percentage), who is 8-2-1, 1.79, .945 since the All-Star break, could begin a stretch of starting 12 straight games Monday with the Ducks' final back-to-back contests April 6-7 to close the regular season.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim was 25-for-25 on the penalty kill over its previous nine games before allowing a pair of power-play goals in the third period Friday.
2. St. Louis is 5-21-1 in its last 27 trips to Honda Center.
3. Ducks C Adam Henrique, who has 16 goals and 27 points with a plus-9 rating in 44 contests since being acquired from New Jersey, is expected to play in his 500th game Monday.