Tonight at 8 p.m. ET, the Chicago Blackhawks (48-26-6, 102 points) and St. Louis Blues (49-24-7, 105 points) face-off for the fifth and final time this season live from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
Chicago has lost two straight games as it begins a regular season-ending two-match road trip while St. Louis has won three out of four contests and plays the middle match of a three-game home stand to conclude the regular slate.
The Blues look for win No. 50 and to clinch the Central Division and home-ice advantage through the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blackhawks are three points behind their opponents and in third place in the Central, two points behind the second place Nashville Predators (104 points).
These teams have split the season series with two wins apiece while St. Louis topped Chicago 2-1 in their last head-to-head meeting on Sunday.
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Chicago comes into play on the heels of a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday,
The Blackhawks would need to win out and get some help to secure home-ice by winning the first or second spot in the division, but they'll take it one game at a time.
"You just worry about our team game, how we're going to play tonight," right wing Patrick Sharp said per NHL.com. "A couple days from now, let the chips fall where they may."
Sharp has 42 points off of 15 goals and 27 assists this season while captain Jonathan Toews paces the team with 66 points off of 28 tallies and 38 markers.
St. Louis meanwhile approaches the contest after falling to the Winnipeg Jets 1-0 on Tuesday to snap a four-game winning streak. While they can win the division, home-ice would be the true prize.
"I think you're more concerned about one thing: getting home ice," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told NHL.com. "You can't pick who you're going to play. There's so many scenarios out there, but man, home ice is important. We want to get it. We win tonight, we've got home ice. That's the focus for the players, that's the focus for us."
Vladimir Tarasenko is tied for third in the NHL with 38 goals this season and he leads St. Louis with 71 points while Jaden Schwartz (28 markers, 34 helpers) and Alex Steen (24 goals, 38 assists) have 62 points apiece.
In between the pipes, St. Louis is set to turn to Jake Allen and he is 21-7-4 with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.
Chicago is likely to counter with Corey Crawford in the crease and he is 32-19-5 with a 2.27 GAA and a .924 save percentage.
Two playoff-bound division rivals clash when the puck drops on the Blackhawks and Blues live tonight from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
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