• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Blues-Kings Preview

Jan 8, 2010 - 6:00 PM By PAUL DIGIACOMO STATS Senior Editor

St. Louis (17-19-7) at Los Angeles (25-16-3), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Holding on to third-period leads has been difficult for the St. Louis Blues during their season-high losing streak. They also blew one in their last visit to Los Angeles but came away with a victory.

The Blues try to avoid losing eight straight for the first time in more than three years Saturday night when they conclude a three-game road trip against the Kings.

St. Louis (17-19-7) has owned a lead in the third period in four games during its seven-game skid, including the first two on this trip. The Blues led San Jose 1-0 on Wednesday night before falling 2-1 in overtime, and they allowed three unanswered goals in the final 12 minutes of a 4-2 loss to Anaheim on Thursday.

"We've lost a countless number of games like that this year in the third period," center T.J. Oshie said Thursday. "If you want to be a winning team, if you want to win games in this league, it needs to be done in the third period.

"We just kind of sat back."

The Blues were ahead 4-3 in Los Angeles on Dec. 5 but allowed Alexander Frolov to score the tying goal with 34 seconds left in regulation. They went on to defeat the Kings 5-4 in a shootout.

St. Louis, 0-2-1 since Davis Payne took over for fired coach Andy Murray last Saturday, hasn't lost eight in a row since an 0-8-3 slide from Nov. 25-Dec. 17, 2006.

"He needs time to implement his philosophy and we need to change things," forward David Backes told the Blues' official Web site. "It's a new coach, but it's the same guys on the ice. I don't know how he's going to motivate or what he's going to do, but it's not all him, we need to make changes and stick to game plans.

"We've shown with the talent in this room, and the work ethic when it's there, that we can play with anyone."

Los Angeles (25-16-3) is looking to get back on track after having its three-game win streak snapped with a 2-1 loss to Detroit on Thursday night in the opener of a season-high seven-game homestand.

The Kings totaled 52 shots - the first time they had at least 50 since Feb. 13, 1997, against Toronto - but were scoreless after a 27-shot second period and allowed the winner with 18 seconds to play.

Ryan Smyth extended his goal streak to four with a power-play score that tied it at 1-all with 4:22 left.

"When you keep going like that, and you get one (goal), it's a little bit of a relief, but that's what we have to learn," center Anze Kopitar told the Kings' official Web site. "We can't let down. No matter if it's 0.2 seconds left in the first period or 17 seconds left in the third period, you can't let down."

St. Louis' win in Los Angeles last month was just its third in nine games there since the 2005-06 season.