Blues 2 - 1 Jets
Final - 2OT
  for this game

Struggling Blues kick off trip in Winnipeg

Feb 26, 2015 - 3:42 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The St. Louis Blues will try to shake off a rough homestand on Thursday night when they begin a five-game road trip versus the Winnipeg Jets.

The Blues lost three of four on their recent residency, falling 5-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in Tuesday's finale. St. Louis' current slump has dropped it nine points behind the first-place Nashville Predators in the Central Division and just three ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Jets, owners of the first wild card spot in the Western Conference, are four points in back of the Blackhawks for third place.

Jake Allen had a rough time in net versus the Canadiens, giving up all five goals on 23 shots faced. T.J. Oshie had a goal and an assist in defeat, while David Backes also scored.

"They made us pay and they sealed the game before we could really make that push," Backes said.

St. Louis has won seven of its past eight on the road and figures to start Brian Elliott in net tonight. He is 6-2-2 lifetime versus the Jets franchise with a 2.98 goals against average and .894 save percentage in 11 games (10 starts).

The Jets will try to get on a roll tonight after they snapped a two-game slide with Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. That win came in the opener of a four-game homestand and saw Dustin Byfuglien score the game-winner early in the third period.

Bryan Little, Adam Lowry and Michael Frolik also lit the lamp for the Jets, while Michael Hutchinson made 26 saves.

"Good first (period), good third, didn't like the second," Jets coach Paul Maurice said.

Forward Blake Wheeler did not play due to a lower-body injury, ending his consecutive games played streak at 227, and he was placed on injured reserve Wednesday after the Jets acquired forward Jiri Tlusty from the Carolina Hurricanes.

Winnipeg sent a pair of draft picks to the Hurricanes for Tlusty, who could debut tonight after notching 13 goals and 10 assists in 52 games with the Hurricanes this season.

Hutchinson, meanwhile, has started four of the past five games in net for the Jets and has never before faced St. Louis.

The Blues have won five in a row and eight of their past nine versus the Jets, taking the first of five meetings this season 4-2 at Winnipeg on Nov. 23.

St. Louis is 4-0-1 in its past five on the road in this series.






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