Blue Jackets at Blues
The St. Louis Blues look to remain in the thick of the race for both the Central Division title and the Presidents' Trophy when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. St. Louis enters the day one point behind Nashville for the division lead, with the Predators visiting Washington in the afternoon. The Blues, who have been idle since wrapping up a 3-1-2 road trip with an overtime win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, are tied for fifth in the overall league standings but trails the first-place New York Rangers by just two points.
Columbus is coming off its franchise-record seventh consecutive road victory, a 5-1 triumph at Chicago on Friday. Cam Atkinson registered his second career hat trick while Ryan Johansen notched a goal and an assist as the Blue Jackets matched the club mark with their 21st win away from home. Columbus manhandled St. Louis at home on Feb. 6 in the first of their two meetings this season, with Nick Foligno scoring two goals and setting up another while Johansen added a tally and two assists in the 7-1 victory.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (35-35-4): Atkinson's hat trick on Friday gave Columbus a three-goal performance in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history. Scott Hartnell recorded his eighth career hat trick in Tuesday's 5-3 triumph over Anaheim. Johansen's goal Friday was his 25th of the season, giving the Blue Jackets three players (Hartnell 25, Foligno 26) with that amount for the first time.
ABOUT THE BLUES (46-21-7): St. Louis' blue line will receive a major boost Saturday as Kevin Shattenkirk and Carl Gunnarsson are expected to return to the lineup. Shattenkirk missed 25 games with an abdominal injury suffered on Feb. 1, while Gunnarsson sat out two contests with an upper-body ailment. "I'm ready to go," Shattenkirk told the team's website. "I've done what I've got to do rehab-wise. It's time to jump back into it."
OVERTIME
1. Blues G Jake Allen is 8-1-2 in his last 11 decisions.
2. Columbus has won five straight contests and eight of its last nine.
3. St. Louis is 43-for-46 on the penalty kill over its last 14 contests.