Game Notes: April 8 at Carolina

The Blues face the Hurricanes with another opportunity to clinch third in the Central Division. A clinch can happen a few different ways but simply, the Blues need to come away from the evening a point ahead of Nashville. The Predators are playing their final regular season game in Winnipeg tonight. St. Louis is facing Carolina for the first time since Jan. 5, when the 'Canes left Scottrade Center with a 4-2 win. The Blues, who are 8-3-0 vs. the East under Mike Yeo, have won back-to-back trips to Raleigh, including a 5-2 victory in their most recent visit (Feb. 28, 2016).

What to Watch

Will we get to see No. 71? Vladimir Sobotka has made his return to the Blues after a three-year stint in the KHL. His most recent season with the Blues was his most productive in the NHL. In 2013-14, Sobokta logged 33 points in 61 games and ranked second overall with a 61.9 percent faceoff win percentage.

Milestones

Kyle Brodziak - 4 shy of 400 career PIM
Carl Gunnarsson - 7 shy of 100 career assists
Jori Lehtera - 1 shy of 100 career points
Jay Bouwmeester - 4 shy of 100 PIM as a Blue / 9 shy of 100 points as a Blue / 9 shy of 400 career points
Magnus Paajarvi - 8 shy of 100 career points
Nail Yakupov - 9 shy of 300 career games
Scottie Upshall - 5 shy of 700 career games
Ryan Reaves - 5 shy of 700 career penalty minutes

Quick Hits

• The Blues own the Western Conference's most potent power play against Eastern Conference competition (26.4 percent)
• Jake Allen is 3-1-0 with a 2.04 goals-against average and a .927 save-percentage in four career games against the 'Canes
• Alex Pietrangelo has become just the fourth different Blues defensemen to net 14 goals in a single season since 2000 (Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger, Kevin Shattenkirk)
• After a two-assist performance on Thursday in Florida, Jaden Schwartz has set a new single-season career high with 36 helpers
• Patrik Berglund set a new single-season career high with his 23rd goal on Thursday in Florida. He now shares 13th on the club's all-time goals list with Joe Mullen (151).