Preview: Hurricanes at Blues

[January 05, 2017]  Vladimir Tarasenko mustered just three of his team-high 18 goals during the final 13 games of 2016 before tallying twice in the third period of the Winter Classic to ring in the new year. The 25-year-old Russian looks to keep the party going on Thursday as the St. Louis Blues play the fourth contest of their season-high six-game homestand against the Carolina Hurricanes.

While Tarasenko traditionally has struggled versus Carolina with just one goal and a minus-3 rating in six career encounters, Jake Allen has turned aside 77-of-82 shots to win all three decisions against the Hurricanes. The 26-year-old New Brunswick native made 22 saves in a 4-1 victory over Chicago on Monday to continue his success in the Gateway City, improving his home marks to 12-2-2 with one shutout and a 2.07 goals-against average. Carolina's Sebastian Aho has scored both of his team's goals in back-to-back 3-1 losses to Tampa Bay and New Jersey, respectively, while fellow Finn Teuvo Teravainen is riding a five-game point streak (one goal, four assists). Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, the rest of the offense has hit the snooze button as they have mustered just seven goals en route to losing three of their last four games.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NHL.TV, FSN Carolinas, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE HURRICANES (16-14-7): Veteran Michael Leighton was recalled from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Wednesday to replace fellow goaltender Eddie Lack (concussion), who was placed on injured reserve. Carolina also demoted netminder Daniel Altshuller to the Checkers, who saw Leighton post an 8-5-2 mark with a 2.17 goals-against average with them this season while the 35-year-old also won two of three decisions with the Hurricanes. Carolina wasn't done with matters off the ice on Wednesday, as it claimed former St. Louis forward Ty Rattie off waivers.

 ABOUT THE BLUES (20-13-5): Coach Ken Hitchcock commended Jaden Schwartz for playing in the Winter Classic while nursing an illness, and perhaps that performance provided a rare soft spot as the coach granted the forward a reprieve from practice on Wednesday. "Yeah. He's gonna play (Thursday), but we asked him to stay home," Hitchcock said of Schwartz. "He basically came from bed and played and went back to bed and that's where he's been since so we asked him to stay home and get as healthy as he can, but he'll play (Thursday) for sure." Carl Gunnarsson is not as "fortunate" as a lower-body injury will have him sidelined in favor of Brad Hunt, Hitchcock said.

OVERTIME

1. Carolina LW Jeff Skinner (team-leading 27 points) has been held off the scoresheet in each of his last five games.

2. St. Louis is 2-for-15 on the power play in the last seven games.

3. The Hurricanes are 3-0-1 against Central Division representatives this season and 7-3-3 versus the Western Conference.

PREDICTION: Blues 4, Hurricanes 2

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