When: Saturday, April 5 at 6 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 (42-28-7) have made history again. With their 5-4 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, the team set a new franchise record with their 10th consecutive home win and tied a franchise record with their 11th straight win overall.
The 11-game mark has been reached just once before by the Blues - when it was originally set from Jan. 23-Feb. 19 of 2019. It also shares the longest win streak in the NHL this season with Winnipeg and is the longest active win streak.
Win No. 11 wasn't an easy one to reach. Despite a two-goal lead in the third period, the Penguins scored twice in the final 10 minutes to send the game into overtime. Forward Robert Thomas was the hero, scoring a power-play goal 2:12 into OT to secure the victory. Thomas ranks first in the League with 30 points (seven goals, 23 assists) since the break.
"It's been a fun ride. We've beaten some really good teams and we're playing really good hockey," he said after the game. "We've just got to consistently be there every single night. That's what makes a great team and that's what we're on our way to be."
Even with the win, it wasn't all good news for the Blues this week. Dylan Holloway suffered a lower-body injury in the first period against Pittsburgh and did not return. The 23-year-old is considered week-to-week, with Head Coach Jim Montgomery ruling him out for at least the next two games. Additionally forward Alexandre Texier is dealing with an upper-body issue and is day-to-day and ruled out for Saturday.
AVALANCHE The Colorado Avalanche (47-26-4) rolled to a 7-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, clinching their spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They join Winnipeg, Dallas and Vegas as the Western Conference teams to have already clinched a playoff berth.
Colorado got big games from a number of their players on Thursday, with Charlie Coyle, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews all registering three points with a goal and two assists apiece. Mackenzie Blackwood made 27 saves in net for his fourth win in his last five starts.
The win in Columbus was the Avalanche's fourth in a row on the road. They are now 5-1-1 in their last seven games overall, with their only regulation loss in that stretch coming against the Blues on March 29. This will be the fourth and final matchup between the two teams this season, with St. Louis leading the season series 2-1-0.
The Avalanche currently rank third in the Central Division but fifth overall in the League. Their 98 points puts them seven ahead of the Blues in the top Wild Card spot and six behind Dallas in the No. 2 seed. If the playoffs started today, the Avalanche would be facing the Stars and the Blues would be matching up with the Golden Knights.
