Preview: Coyotes vs. Blues

GAME 57:
Coyotes (25-26-5) vs. Blues (28-22-5)
Arizona will attempt to extend its winning streak to three games on Thursday night when it hosts St. Louis in Glendale.

WHERE:Gila River Arena | WHEN: 7 p.m. (AZ time) | TV:FOX Sports Arizona | RADIO:Arizona Sports 98.7 FM
ABOUT THE 'YOTES:
• Arizona will enter the game with 55 points, four behind Minnesota, which holds the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference standings with 26 games to play.
• The Coyotes are 3-0-0 vs. St. Louis over the past three matchups between the teams and outscored the Blues, 17-3, in those games. Most recently, Arizona defeated St. Louis, 6-1, at Gila River Arena on Dec. 1.
• Brad Richardson, who hasn't played since suffering an upper-body injury on Jan. 10, practiced on Wednesday and skated on Thursday morning. Afterward, Head Coach Rick Tocchet said there's "a really good chance" he'd play vs. the Blues.
"He's closer to playing than not playing," Tocchet said.
Arizona has missed Richardson in the face-off circles, where he wins a team-best 54.7 percent of his draws. Richardson also ranks tied for second on the team with 11 goals. If he plays Thursday, he'll likely center the fourth line with wingers Josh Archibald and Lawson Crouse.
• Darcy Kuemper will start in goal after making 41 saves in a 5-2 win at Vegas on Tuesday. Kuemper, who has stopped 74 of 79 shots during Arizona's two-game winning streak, is 8-2-3 since New Year's Day with a .920 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average in those 13 games.
• Despite missing 10 games because of various injuries, Alex Galchenyuk leads the Coyotes in goals scored with 12 and ranks second on the team in points with 30 in 46 games.
• Jordan Oesterle will enter the game with a career-high five-game point streak, during which he's notched two goals and four assists.
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• Mario Kempe, who missed Tuesday's game at Vegas because of an upper-body injury, practiced Wednesday and, like Richardson, will be a game-time decision.

ABOUT THE BLUES:
• St. Louis has earned 61 points, including a League-high 27 in 2019, and owns the first wildcard spot in the Western Conference standings ... The Blues have won seven consecutive games and outscored those seven opponents 29-14 ... Ryan O'Reilly leads St. Louis with 57 points, including a team-high 36 assists ... Vladimir Tarasenko has notched at least one point in nine consecutive games. He's produced seven goals and eight assists during that span ... Goalie Jordan Binnington is 6-0-0 with a 1.65 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in his past six starts ... The Blues rank fifth in the NHL in face-off winning percentage at 51.9. O'Reilly leads the way at 57.6 percent ... David Perron, who ranks third on the team with 35 points, remains on the injured-reserve list.

'YOTES QUOTES:
• "We're getting deep into February, and there are a lot of games left, but our playoffs start now, earlier than a lot of other teams. We can't afford long losing streaks, that's why to win those last two games was important. We beat two tough opponents - Dallas and Vegas - and that gets us back in it again." -- Rick Tocchet
• "It's going to be a real tough challenge. Our group is going to have to be on their game for a full 60 minutes. That's something that the Blues have been doing really well lately - they play 60-minute hockey games. We've got to make sure that we're able to match that." -- Derek Stepan
• "Right now we're going to have the same mentality going into every game, regardless of the opponent. We need points, and we're serious about trying to make a push to get into the postseason. That mentality has to be the same every game, no matter if we we're playing a team above us in the standings or below us." -- Kevin Connauton
• "St. Louis is a team we're chasing so we have to pounce on this opportunity. We just need to keep doing what we've been doing the past two games, and keep working and keep battling as a group of 22, 23 guys. We're playing really sound defensively and that's definitely a big key for us." -- Jordan Weal