Game Preview

Canucks face Blues to end seven-game trip
John Kreiser - NHL.com Columnist

CANUCKS (7-4-1) at BLUES (5-1-1)

TV: SNET-P; FS-MW

Last 10: Vancouver 6-3-1

Season series: It's the first of three meetings this season between the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues, and the only one at Scottrade Center. St. Louis won twice in shootouts last season, with the Canucks taking the only game decided in 60 minutes.

Big story: Vancouver's seven-game trip comes to an end with a huge challenge: The Canucks are playing back-to-back games against a team that's at home and has had a week off. Vancouver comes to St. Louis with a 4-1-1 mark on the trip after a 3-2 shootout victory against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

Team Scope:

Canucks: Vancouver is piling up points on its trip despite losing players. The Canucks beat the New York Islanders 5-4 in overtime Tuesday despite losing center Jannik Hansen with an upper-body injury. They topped the Devils even though David Booth and Dale Weise left with lower-body injuries.

But the Canucks still had Roberto Luongo, who stopped all 17 shots he faced in the third period and denied New Jersey's three attempts in the shootout for the win.

"It's probably his best period (this season)," coach John Tortorella said of Luongo's third-period heroics. "He's still trying to get his game to where he wants it, but he was outstanding and certainly gave us a chance to get the point and also earned us the second one."

Blues: A 4-3 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets last Friday is a distant memory for a team that hasn't played in a week. The Blues headed off to Charleston, S.C., for a four-day team-bonding trip while practicing at the Carolina Ice Palace. They continued working out after returning to St. Louis, but as center Derek Roy told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "It's hard to get the battle drills that you'll get in a game. We tried our best this week to work hard and make sure our battle level stayed high."

St. Louis is 1-1-1 in its past three games after a 4-0-0 start; the Blues have allowed 11 goals in those three games after surrendering seven in the four wins.

Who's hot: Luongo is 4-0-1 on the trip, though he may sit in favor of Eddie Lack because the Canucks are playing on back-to-back nights. Luongo is 10-5-1 lifetime against the Blues. … Alexander Steen has seven goals in the Blues' seven games and David Backes has six; the rest of the team has 13.

Injury report: With Hansen, Weise and Booth all sidelined, Vancouver recalled center Pascal Pelletier and winger Darren Archibald from the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League. Vancouver was already without forwards Alexandre Burrows (foot) and Jordan Schroeder (ankle). … The Blues report no injuries, but they'll be without forward Maxim Lapierre, who's sitting out a five-game suspension for a hit on Dan Boyle of the San Jose Sharks 10 days ago.


Here We Go!
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While the Vancouver Canucks have played six games in 10 days, the St. Louis Blues have had enough time off since their last game to take a team-bonding trip.

Off for the past week and having played a league-low seven games, the Blues on Friday night host the Canucks, who will wrap up their season-high seven-game road trip looking for a fifth victory.

The Canucks (7-4-1) have played a league-high 12 games, four of which have come since the Blues last took the ice. They're 4-1-1 thus far on their trip after rallying past New Jersey 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday.

Mike Santorelli scored the only goal in the tiebreaker while Roberto Luongo stopped all three Devils attempts after making 28 saves in regulation and overtime -- 17 of which came in a third period that impressed his coach.

"It's probably his best period," coach John Tortorella told the team's official website. "He's still trying to get his game to where he wants it, but he was outstanding and certainly gave us a chance to get the point and also earned us the second one."

Luongo is 10-5-1 with a 1.96 goals-against average in his last 16 starts versus St. Louis -- postseason included -- but he hasn't started games on back-to-back nights this season. Backup Eddie Lack is 1-1-0 in his two starts, having earned his first NHL win by making 26 saves in a 3-1 win at Columbus on Sunday.

Though the Canucks earned two points Thursday, they lost forwards David Booth and Dale Weise to lower-body injuries after the first period and may not have either Friday. With Jannik Hansen already injured, Vancouver recalled center Pascal Pelletier and winger Darren Archibald from AHL Utica.

"It's tough when they're rolling their lines and you've got to play with a short bench, but that's why you work in the summer," said Henrik Sedin, who has a team-high 15 points and a seven-game point streak.

The Blues (5-1-1) had their own mini summer vacation over the past week. They haven't played since a 4-3 shootout loss at Winnipeg last Friday, heading off to Charleston, S.C., for a team-bonding trip while practicing daily at the Carolina Ice Palace.

St. Louis should be eager to get back on the ice after blowing a two-goal lead in the final 6:47 of regulation against the Jets.

"We gave away this one," center Alexander Steen, who scored twice, told the team's official website. "We're up by two late in the game, we shouldn't be giving away points like that."

Steen has a team-high seven goals and fellow center David Backes six -- half of the Blues' 26 goals.

The Blues are 1-1-1 in their last three after starting the season 4-0-0. They've allowed 11 goals in the past three games after giving up seven in their first four.

St. Louis will have Jaroslav Halak back in net after Brian Elliot made his first start against the Jets. Halak is 4-2-0 with a 2.23 GAA and a .932 save percentage in six career starts versus Vancouver, though he hasn't faced the Canucks since February 2011.

The Blues will be without forward Maxim Lapierre, who was suspended five games for an Oct. 15 hit on San Jose defenseman Dan Boyle. Forward Brenden Morrow and defenseman Barret Jackman, neither of whom dressed against the Jets due to upper-body injuries, will both be in the lineup Friday as will Alex Pietrangelo, who was hurt blocking a shot in Winnipeg.

The Blues are 3-0-1 against Vancouver in the last four regular-season meetings in St. Louis.