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| ST. LOUIS BLUES |
26-20-2 (54 pts; .563%)
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8:00 P.M. – TUESDAY, JANUARY 30 ENTERPRISE CENTER ST. LOUIS, MO |
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TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play (Out of Market) |
The hits keep coming for the Columbus Blue Jackets, on and off the ice.
One more game until they get ten days off sounds just like what the doctor ordered.
Columbus' latest disappointment was two-fold. A 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken was half the story, but was overshadowed by an injury to rookie sensation Adam Fantilli. The 19-year-old suffered a cut to his leg in the loss and will be further evaluated in Columbus when the club returns home.
That will come late Tuesday night after the Blue Jackets finish up a five-game road trip with a game against the St. Louis Blues. Columbus has just one win in the first four games of the roadie and are seeking a second consecutive win against the Blues after a 5-2 win at Nationwide Arena in December.
Here's what else to know when the Blue Jackets battle an old Central Division foe:
| CBJ | SEASON STATS | STL |
|---|---|---|
| 2.98 (21st) | GOALS FOR | 2.90 (25th) |
| 3.73 (31st) | GOALS AGAINST | 3.15 (20th) |
| 14.9% (26th) | POWER PLAY | 15.5% (25th) |
| 77.1% (25th) | PENALTY KILL | 78.0% (22nd) |
| 29.7 (22nd) | SHOTS FOR | 29.1 (23rd) |
| 33.6 (29th) | SHOTS AGAINST | 32.0 (25th) |
| 47.0% (26th) | FACE-OFF | 49.1% (20th) |
| BLUES: LAST THREE GAMES | ||
| WED, 1/24 | @ Canucks | W, 4-3 OT |
| FRI, 1/26 | @ Kraken | W, 4-3 OT |
| SAT, 1/28 | vs. Kings | W, 4-3 OT |
| BLUES: TEAM LEADERS | ||
| GOALS |
Robert Thomas Pavel Buchnevich |
17 |
| ASSISTS | Robert Thomas | 35 |
| POINTS | Robert Thomas | 52 |
| ODDS & PROJECTIONS | ||
| ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: | 37% | |
| TIPICO SPORTSBOOK ODDS: | CBJ +150 | |
TALKING POINTS: STL
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The last three games for the Blues is not a misprint. They've won three consecutive games in overtime, each by a score of 4-3. The game before that had a 4-3 final as well, though extra time was not necessary.
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Robert Thomas has been the engine that's gotten the Blues back into playoff contention. He leads the team in points (52), assists (35), and is tied with Pavel Buchnevich for the team lead in goals (17).
- Some of the credit goes to Drew Bannister for the turnaround in St. Louis. He took over as head coach December 12th, and the Blues are 13-6-1 since that point.
TALKING POINTS: CBJ
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The Blue Jackets have dudes. As woeful as the season has been, there still is reason to be excited about the future — so watching guys like Dmitri Voronkov and Yegor Chinakhov, to name just a couple, is still a good reason to watch this team. It'll come.
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Going on the penalty kill has resulted in an opposition goal more often than not on the road trip. The Blue Jackets have allowed six goals on 11 attempts, including going just 2-of-7 on the penalty kill in the last two games.
- Projected lineups based on Tuesday's morning skate:
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Johnny Gaudreau | 38 | Boone Jenner | 59 | Yegor Chinakhov |
| 91 | Kent Johnson | 10 | Dmitri Voronkov | 86 | Kirill Marchenko |
| 42 | Alexandre Texier | 4 | Cole Sillinger | 96 | Jack Roslovic |
| 17 | Justin Danforth | 7 | Sean Kuraly | 24 | Mathieu Olivier |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 2 | Andrew Peeke |
| 9 | Ivan Provorov | 78 | Damon Severson |
| 22 | Jake Bean | 44 | Erik Gudbranson |
| Starting Goalie | Back-Up Goalie | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | Elvis Merzlikins | 40 | Daniil Tarasov |
