When: Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. CT
Where: Enterprise Center in St, Louis, MO
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App
Tickets: Online at ticketmaster.com
QUICK HITS
BLUES The St. Louis Blues (20-20-4) are gearing up for a pivotal week that can shape the outlook of their playoff chances as they host consecutive games against a Western Conference opponent, the Calgary Flames, on Tuesday and Thursday.
With the playoff picture taking shape, the fight for a Wild Card spot is on. While there are only two Wild Card spots available in the Western Conference, the Flames and Blues are neck-and-neck to earn a spot. Currently the Flames are in the second Wild Card spot with 49 points, with the Blues trailing two spots behind them with 44 points.
Tuesday will mark the second meeting between the two teams this season. In their first encounter on Dec. 5, the Blues earned a 4-3 overtime victory, which marked their fourth straight win over the Flames.
On Saturday, the Blues fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1, after the offense struggled to solve goaltender Jet Greaves. The Blues’ lone goal came from defenseman Colton Parayko in the final 10.5 seconds of the game.
Following Saturday’s loss, Head Coach Jim Montgomery expressed his disappointment with the team’s inconsistency and slow starts, emphasizing the need for a mental shift moving forward.
“You've got to really fear and respect this league, or it’ll humble you,” Montgomery said. “We get humbled a lot. It’s a mental preparation thing that we've just got to be able to come to games and this is the way we start games, this is the way we start the second, this is the way we finish the second.”
The Blues look to rewrite the narrative on Tuesday, chasing their fifth and sixth consecutive wins over the Flames to climb up in the Wild Card standings as they close out their four-game homestand.
FLAMES The Calgary Flames (21-14-7) are coming to St. Louis on a three-game win streak, most recently earning a victory on Monday night against the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 5-2.
The Flames dominated the Blackhawks from the start, scoring their first goal within 74 seconds from puck drop. Jakob Pelletier’s two-goal performance and Yegor Sharangovich’s first shorthanded goal of the season helped secure the road win in Chicago.
On Jan. 7, Flames forward Connor Zary suffered a knee injury during the teams’ 3-2 OT victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Zary will be out indefinitely, which led the Flames to recall Rory Kerins from their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, on Friday. Kerins made his NHL debut on Monday and earned two assists. The 2022 draft pick leads the AHL with 21 goals.
Since the two teams met on Dec. 5, the Flames have gone 8-5-2 and are 6-3-1 in their last 10. They are currently in fourth place in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.
