Blackhawks at Blues preview

BLACKHAWKS (32-37-10) at BLUES (43-30-6)
8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV

The Blues trail the Colorado Avalanche by one point with one game in hand, but have lost three straight (0-2-1) while being outscored 14-5.
The idle Los Angeles Kings will clinch a playoff berth if the Blues lose to the Blackhawks in any fashion.
The Blackhawks will miss the playoffs for the first time in 10 seasons and will be without center Jonathan Toews (upper body) for a sixth consecutive game.

Players to watch

Blackhawks right wing Alex DeBrincat has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his past eight games. He had a hat trick against the Blues on March 18.
Blues right wing Vladimir Tarasenko has 21 points (13 goals, eight assists) in 21 games against the Blackhawks.

They said it

"We've been like that for 20 games now. It seems like every single team we play it's the most important two points of the year for them and a lot to be sorted out. ... We expect them to play like it's the most important game." -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville
"We've got to find points. Overtime point. Obviously, a win is the goal, but points right now, it doesn't matter how. We just have to find a way to make some positive ground here." -- Blues goaltender Jake Allen

Blackhawks projected lineup

Brandon Saad -- Nick Schmaltz -- Patrick Kane
Patrick Sharp -- David Kampf -- Vinnie Hinostroza
Tomas Jurco -- Artem Anisimov -- Andreas Martinsen
Dylan Sikura -- Victor Ejdsell -- Alex DeBrincat
Duncan Keith -- Brent Seabrook
Erik Gustafsson -- Connor Murphy
Blake Hillman -- Jan Rutta
J-F Berube
Jeff Glass
Scratched:Jordan Oesterle
Injured:Jonathan Toews (upper body), Corey Crawford (upper body), Anthony Duclair (lower body), Anton Forsberg (lower body), John Hayden (upper body)

Blues projected lineup

Jaden Schwartz -- Brayden Schenn -- Vladimir Tarasenko
Patrik Berglund -- Kyle Brodziak -- Alexander Steen
Dmitrij Jaskin -- Vladimir Sobotka -- Tage Thompson
Ivan Barbashev -- Oskar Sundqvist -- Chris Thorburn
Joel Edmundson -- Alex Pietrangelo
Vince Dunn -- Colton Parayko
Chris Butler -- Robert Bortuzzo
Jake Allen
Carter Hutton
Scratched:Nikita Soshnikov, Nolan Stevens, Mitch Reinke
Injured:Jordan Schmaltz (upper body)

Status report

Toews made the trip and skated. Quenneville has not ruled him out for the remaining two games against the Blues on Friday and at the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. ... Soshnikov is cleared to play but not in the lineup. He's missed the past five games with an upper-body injury.

Stat pack

The Blackhawks have allowed four or more goals in seven of their past nine games; they're 2-5-2. ... Pietrangelo has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in his past 12 games.