Philadelphia @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 7, 2019 ) St. Louis 3, Philadelphia 0

After missing an opportunity to move into a three-way tie for first place in the Central Division, the St. Louis Blues host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. St. Louis lost 4-3 in a shootout at Chicago on Wednesday for only its second setback in eight contests (6-1-1) and is one point behind Winnipeg and Nashville in the Central with two games to play.

Blues rookie goaltending sensation Jordan Binnington (22-5-1, league-best 1.85 goals-against average, .929 save percentage) is expected to start Thursday after Jake Allen made 35 saves versus Chicago. Philadelphia, which was eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday, has been outscored 14-4 during a three-game losing streak after Tuesday's 6-2 setback at Dallas. "It's kind of embarrassing to go out and lose 6-2 in this kind of game," the Flyers' Oskar Lindblom told reporters after scoring his 15th goal of the season. "We take stupid penalties and get in the box, and they score. That's things we can't get rid of." Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux is finishing the season strong with four goals and 17 assists in his last 19 games, increasing his club-high point total to 82.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia Plus, FS Midwest Plus (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE FLYERS (37-35-8): Sean Couturier has recorded a club-most and career-high 32 goals, giving him 63 in the last two seasons, but has only one in his past six contests. James van Riemsdyk (26 goals) has been kept off the scoresheet in five of his last six games and is a minus-8 during that span, lowering his season number to minus-12. Brian Elliott (11-10-1, 2.81 goals-against average, .912 save percentage) is expected to start and see his first action since March 24.

ABOUT THE BLUES (43-28-9): Vladimir Tarasenko scored his team-high 32nd goal on Wednesday, giving him four in his last six games. Ryan O'Reilly (27 goals, club-best 74 points) had recorded one point in five straight games before getting shut out versus Chicago, remaining one goal away from matching his career high set in 2013-14 with Colorado. Tyler Bozak (13 goals) scored for the second time in three games Wednesday, giving him seven of his 37 points this season in the last eight contests.

OVERTIME

1. St. Louis meets Vancouver on Saturday in the regular-season finale, Winnipeg visits Colorado on Thursday and Arizona two days later and Nashville plays the Canucks on Thursday and Chicago on Saturday.

2. Philadelphia C Travis Konecny, who has scored one goal in his last 12 games, needs one to match the career high of 24 he set last season.

3. The Blues won the first meeting this season, posting a 3-0 triumph on Jan. 7 in which Binnington made 25 saves for his first career shutout.

PREDICTION: Blues 3, Flyers 2