RANGERS (21-18-4) at BLUES (28-10-7) 8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, FS-MW, MSG, NHL.TV
The Rangers goalie last played Jan. 2 when he allowed four goals on 29 shots in a 4-3 loss at the Calgary Flames. Lundqvist will play his 882nd game, tying John Vanbiesbrouck for ninth place all-time among NHL goalies. New York has won two straight games with rookie goalie Igor Shesterkin, who is expected be a healthy scratch; Alexandar Georgiev, who hasn't played since Jan. 4 in a 2-1 loss at the Vancouver Canucks, is expected to be Lundqvist's backup. The Blues have won seven in a row at home and are looking for their third straight win in a season-long five-game homestand. St. Louis' 15 home wins are tied for second in the NHL (15-4-3), behind the Pittsburgh Penguins (16-5-3).
Players to watch
Rangers forward Artemi Panarin has 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in his past seven games. Blues forward David Perron has five points (three goals, two assists) in a three-game point streak and 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in his past 11 games.
They said it
"Last three games we've been playing well, playing good defensively. ... We've just got to bring that on the road" -- Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei "They've got a lot of skill, especially up front. We have to do a good job of taking care of the puck and tracking and making sure we're not giving those rush chances." -- Blues center Ryan O'Reilly on the Rangers
Rangers coach David Quinn said Friday that Hajek, who has missed 16 straight games, is ready to return but it's not clear if the defenseman will play against the Blues. ... The Rangers held an optional morning skate and Lindgren, a defenseman, took part. ... Parayko, a defenseman, will miss his fourth straight game.
Stat pack
Kreider has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 11 games against the Blues. ... DeAngelo has seven points (three goals, four assists) in the past 2 games. ... Bozak has six points (three goals, three assists) in his past five games and seven goals in his past 11 games after three goals in 33 games to start the season. ... Schwartz has 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in his past 11 games. ... O'Reilly has a nine-game point streak (one goal, 10 assists) at Enterprise Center.
