Kings at Blues
The Los Angeles Kings have gone the extra mile to win a franchise-best four in a row past regulation while the St. Louis Blues have seen their sputtering offense held to just one goal in four of the last five contests (1-2-2). The Blues look to get it in gear on Saturday when they conclude their three-game homestand against the reinvigorated Kings.
"I think we've got to look at everything right now," St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said on Friday, one day removed from his team's 2-1 shootout loss to Detroit. "We've got to look at combinations, what's working, what's not working, what we need to get more from. You can't keep living on scoring chances. You've got to finish at the end of the day." Los Angeles' Peter Budaj (4-0-0, 2.21 goals-against average) has done precisely that as the 34-year-old has come out of the bullpen with ace goaltender Jonathan Quick sidelined for three months with a groin injury. Budaj, who has won five straight dating to last season, turned aside 24 shots in a 3-2 overtime victory over Nashville on Thursday and owns a 10-6-0 career mark with one shutout versus the Blues.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
ABOUT THE KINGS (4-3-0): Although Jeff Carter came through in the clutch with his ninth career overtime goal on Thursday, the 31-year-old wouldn't mind if his team won in regulation in a bid to prevent some of the wear and tear on his body. "We'd like to limit our overtime and shootout games and save ourselves a little bit," Carter said. "But if it takes us to overtime every night to win games, then that's what it is." Defenseman Alec Martinez set up a pair of tallies versus the Predators and has two goals and four assists on his four-game point streak after being held off the scoresheet in his previous three contests.
ABOUT THE BLUES (4-2-2): Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk is riding a three-game point streak and has accounted for his team's lone goal production in each of the last two. The 27-year-old is fourth on the club with six points (three goals, three assists) in eight games, however, he has struggled on the other end of the ice as his minus-4 rating is tied with center Robby Fabbri for the team lead. Shattenkirk, who was victimized on a 2-on-2 situation against the Red Wings, is minus-7 in 17 career encounters versus the Kings.
OVERTIME
1. St. Louis has thwarted 23 of its last 24 short-handed situations.
2. Los Angeles' Darryl Sutter is one win shy of 600 regular-season coaching victories.
3. St. Louis announced on Friday that it is retiring original Blue Bobby Plager's No. 5 jersey on Feb. 2 when the club hosts Toronto.