Blues at Wild
THE STORY: A four-game winning streak is on the line Saturday when the Minnesota Wild continue their season-high six-game homestand against the St. Louis Blues. Both Minnesota and St. Louis enter having won three straight contests. The Wild began their stretch of six consecutive home games Thursday with a 1-0 triumph over the Colorado Avalanche. They have captured four in a row at the Xcel Energy Center, allowing a total of two goals. The Blues have yielded two tallies during their three-game winning streak and four goals over their 4-0-1 homestand, all under new coach Ken Hitchcock. However, St. Louis has lost three straight road games overall and five of its last six trips to Minnesota.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN North, FSN Wisconsin (Minnesota)
ABOUT THE BLUES (10-7-1): Chris Stewart will serve the second game of his three-game suspension Saturday. The 24-year old received the ban for shoving Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall into the boards from behind in Tuesday's 2-1 triumph over the Red Wings. Stewart has recorded only three goals and two assists in 17 games this campaign after notching 15 tallies and 23 points in 26 contests last season after being acquired from Colorado on Feb. 19.
ABOUT THE WILD (11-5-3): Minnesota's 25 points over its first 19 games matches the best start over that span in franchise history. The club also earned 25 points over its initial 19 contests in 2008-09. Twelve of the Wild's 19 games this season have been decided by one goal. They are 7-2-3 in those matches. Defenseman Marco Scandella was placed on injured reserve Friday. Scandella is one of three members of the Wild sidelined with a concussion, joining Marek Zidlicky and Guillaume Latendresse.
OVERTIME:
1. The Blues surrendered a total of only two goals in the four wins on their recently completed homestand.
2. Hitchcock's 4-0-1 record since taking over for Davis Payne on Nov. 6 is the best five-game start by a coach in franchise history. St. Louis has not allowed a goal after the first period in any of the five contests.
3. Minnesota is a perfect 14-for-14 on the penalty kill during its four-game home winning streak but is 0-for-11 on the power play.