Preview: Blues at Blackhawks

BLUES AT BLACKHAWKS

TEAM SNAPSHOTS

BLUES The St. Louis Blues will look to rebound after a 4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday to begin their two-game road trip.
Alex Nedeljkovic turned aside 35 shots for the Red Wings - many of the highlight reel variety - to frustrate the Blues, who fell to 10-7-2 on the season.
"That's one of those games where you have to tip your hat to the goaltender," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said. "We could have easily had five or six goals tonight - we created enough chances, and we got the shots we needed -- he was just that good."
The Blues will face the Blackhawks at United Center for the first time this season. In the first meeting between the teams this season at Enterprise Center on Oct. 30, Torey Krug scored and Jordan Binnington made 25 saves in a 1-0 shutout victory.
BLACKHAWKS The Chicago Blackhawks had a 2-2 tie with the Calgary Flames, who had points in six straight games, before Matthew Tkachuk scored with 5:35 left in third period Tuesday in an eventual 5-2 victory for Calgary.
Brandon Hagel and Reese Johnson scored for the Blackhawks, while Marc-Andre Fleury made 34 saves.
The loss moved to Chicago to 6-11-2 on the season, but the club is 5-2-0 since replacing Head Coach Jeremy Colliton with Interim Coach Derek King on Nov. 6.
Patrick Kane leads Chicago with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 15 games. Newcomer Seth Jones, who acquired by the Blackhawks in a trade with Columbus in the offseason, ranks second with 15 points (two goals, 13 assists).
HEAD-TO-HEAD Friday's game will be the 321st regular-season meeting between the Blues and Blackhawks. The Blues have won five straight games against Chicago - the longest winning streak against Chicago in team history - and have recorded shutouts in two straight games at United Center (128 minutes, 23 seconds of consecutive shutout hockey).
Kane was the last player to score against the Blues at United Center on April 3, 2019.
Binnington is undefeated against the Blackhawks (3-0-0). If he starts Friday, it will be his first career start at United Center.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BLUES Brayden Schenn, who returned to the lineup Wednesday in Detroit after missing nine games with an upper-body injury. Schenn has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 21 career games against Chicago.
BLACKHAWKS Alex DeBrincat, who leads the Blackhawks in goals with 11 this season. The 23-year-old winger has recorded 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 14 career games against the Blues.

BLUE NOTES

The Blues rank sixth overall by averaging 34.3 shots per game this season. Last season, the Blues ranked 23rd with an average of 29 shots per game… David Perron's next point will be the 427th of his Blues career, which will tie Keith Tkachuk for 11th in team history… Ivan Barbashev's next point will be the 100th of his NHL career… Brayden Schenn is two goals away from recording 200.