Avalanche at Blues
The St. Louis Blues are ascending in the ultra-competitive Central Division and look to extend their point streak to eight contests when they continue their season-high seven-game homestand against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. Alex Steen scored in his fifth straight contest and Brian Elliott turned aside all 27 shots he faced in St. Louis' 3-0 victory over Toronto on Saturday. "This is, for me, the best (Elliott has) played; not just because he got a shutout, but this is the best he's played since coming back from the injury, for sure," coach Ken Hitchcock said.
The Blues, who are 6-0-1 in their last seven, recorded their third victory in four contests versus the Avalanche by that same score in their last meeting on Dec. 29 - with Martin Brodeur providing the honors for his NHL-record 125th career shutout. Colorado dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to Tampa Bay on Saturday to fall to 1-1-2 on its five-game road trip. Nathan MacKinnon tied the contest with seven seconds remaining in regulation and assisted on Ryan O'Reilly's tally in the second period.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (19-17-10): All-Star defenseman Erik Johnson notched an assist versus the Lightning for his first point in four games. The top overall pick of the 2006 draft by St. Louis, Johnson has scored five goals and set up two others in 13 career meetings with his former team. Colorado could use some production from its power play, which is 3-for-24 in January - but 5-for-17 versus St. Louis this season.
ABOUT THE BLUES (28-13-4): Steen has scored seven goals and set up nine others during his career-high nine-game point streak while captain David Backes notched a pair of assists to extend his point stretch to six games (seven goals, six assists). Linemate T.J. Oshie also scored on Saturday as St. Louis improved to 4-0-1 on its seven-game homestand. Oshie netted the overtime winner in the Blues' 3-2 triumph over Colorado on Dec. 13.
OVERTIME
1. St. Louis, which trails Central-leading Nashville by four points, wraps up its homestand versus the Predators on Thursday.
2. Colorado won the division last season but has dropped 10 of its first 15 meetings (5-7-3) with Central rivals.
3. Elliott recorded his 19th career shutout with the Blues, moving within one of tying G Jaroslav Halak for the franchise record.