BLUES The St. Louis Blues started Friday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks with 11 forwards and seven defensemen in the lineup, but those forwards were quickly reduced to 10 after
David Perron left in the first period with an upper-body injury
.
The Blues jumped out to a 2-0 lead Friday on goals from Pavel Buchnevich and Ivan Barbashev, but the Blackhawks rallied back to earn a 3-2 overtime win.
"I think we ran out of energy, it looked like to me," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said after the game. "Just execution was off, that was a big part of it."
Berube did not have an update on Perron's injury status after the loss, so his availability for Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets won't be known until closer to game time.
BLUE JACKETS The Columbus Blue Jackets enter Saturday's game against the Blues on a three-game winning streak.
Like St. Louis, Columbus will also be playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Goalie Elvis Merzlikins made 39 saves and Jack Roslovic scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to help the Blue Jackets to a 4-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.
Oliver Bjorkstrand leads the Blue Jackets with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 18 games this season. Jakub Voracek (17), Zach Werenski (14), Boone Jenner (13), Vladislav Gavrikov (12) and Patrik Laine (10) all have reached double digits in points.
Since Merzlikins played Friday, the Blues might face backup Joonas Korpisalo, who is 3-3-0 with a 3.63 goals-against average and an .894 save-percentage this season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues and Blue Jackets will meet Saturday for the first time since Nov. 15, 2019. The Blues have points in three straight and wins in four of their last six meetings with Columbus.
Brayden Schenn has 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 23 career games vs. Columbus.
