Rangers at Blues Preview: Home arena advantage

The Blues haven’t lost a game at home since December 7th, a flat 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. That’s a current league best seven game home winning streak, one of many streaks and trends that the Blues have ridden to the top of the Central Division and Western Conference. They’re Also 20-0-5 when scoring first, the only team in the league still undefeated in regulation after getting out to an early lead.

That three game losing streak that they went on wasn’t helpful, because losing streaks - even when you salvage a point - usually aren’t. But a three game losing streak still puts them at 7-2-1 in their last ten games, comfortably above the Dallas Stars’ 56 points.

What’s also helpful for the Blues as they head into the coming All-Star break is that the teams that they’re playing are middling at best. Tonight the 21-18-4 Rangers are heading into town, followed by the 17-22-5 Ducks and the 23-15-6 Flyers. The Blues can easily head into the break with commanding grasp on the division.

The Rangers have won their last two games, but still sit seventh in the Atlantic. A 6-3 victory over the Devils isn’t an achievement. What is an achievement are the two goals and the hat trick from defenseman Tony DeAngelo, and the 46 save performance from the Rangers’ version of Jordan Binnington, Igor Shesterkin. He’s third on the depth chart and two for two in the win column.

The Blues need to keep an eye on their old friend Artemi Panarin. The Bread Man, as he’s known, has 24 goals and 37 assists on the year and is going to be the biggest threat for the Blues on the ice tonight.