Coyotes at Blues
Jake Allen has started - and won - three of the last four games for the St. Louis Blues since being recalled from the American Hockey League. The rookie goaltender may get the nod again on Thursday when the Blues host the Phoenix Coyotes. Allen was in net when St. Louis posted a 6-3 victory over the Coyotes in Phoenix last week and followed that with two wins against San Jose, including a 39-save performance at home on Tuesday. Allen’s strong play has relegated Jaroslav Halak to the backup role and pushed the struggling Brian Elliott to the press box. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock will ride any hot hand he can find in the tight Western Conference playoff race, where St. Louis leads the Coyotes by one point.
After playing six of its last seven games at home, Phoenix enters a four-game road trip looking to improve on their 3-5-2 away record. The Coyotes were shut out 2-0 in Anaheim on March 6 and only have 22 goals in their 10 road games. The lack of offense has made things difficult for Mike Smith, who has started 18 of the last 19 games for Phoenix and is 3-3-2 on the road. Mikkel Boedker scored twice to snap a four-game point drought in a 5-2 win over Los Angeles on Tuesday. He leads the Coyotes with 18 points, but has one goal and four assists on the road.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona Plus, Fox Sports Midwest
ABOUT THE COYOTES (13-10-3): Matthew Lombardi, who has missed the last two games, is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The team has not divulged if it is related to the shoulder injury that kept Lombardi out for a month earlier in the season. Radim Vrbata has missed over three weeks with a foot injury but still isn’t feeling comfortable enough on skates to return to the lineup. With 12 points in 15 games, Vrbata’s return would provide a boost to the team's offense. The Coyotes have power-play goals in three of their last five games.
ABOUT THE BLUES (14-10-2): T.J. Oshie suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s 4-2 win over San Jose and is doubtful to play against Phoenix. Oshie, who has 17 points, joins Alex Steen (16 points), rookie Vladimir Tarasenko (12) and Andy McDonald (11) on the injured list, leaving St. Louis to rely on its scoring depth. Vladimir Sobotka has six goals in March, Chris Stewart has 10 points this month and Patrik Berglund has four of his team-leading 13 goals on a five-game point streak. The Blues’ power play has suffered from all the injuries, going 3-for-32 in its last 12 games.
OVERTIME
1. Stewart had a season-high four points (one goal, three assists) in St. Louis’ win over Phoenix last week.
2. The Coyotes had one of the best road records in the conference last season (20-14-7).
3. The Blues are 4-1-0 in their last five contests against Phoenix.
PREDICTION: Blues 3, Coyotes 0