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Brian Elliott will look to extend his shutout streak with the Avs in town. (USATSI) Welcome to NHL Picks where CBSSports .com hockey writers Chris Peters and Adam Gretz make their predictions for all of the days games. at , 8:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN If youre a fan of the Colorado Avalanche, you have to be wondering if the leagues schedule makers had a sense of humor when designing the teams home Ed Belfour Jersey stretch. While fighting for the last wild card spot in the West, Colorados last eight games are against teams in playoff position and almost all of them have something to play for in terms of seeding or holding onto their spots. The St. Louis Blues are battling it out with the for first place and the Avs will have to play them twice more before the season is out. On top of that, the Avalanche catching the Blues at their hottest with 10 wins in their last 12 games. The Blues have also won four straight over which they have not allowed a single goal. has three of the four shutouts, with extending the streak with a 4-0 win over the in the clubs most recent game. St. Louis has not allowed a goal in their last 240:18 of action . If the Avalanche are going to break the shutout streak, Wyatt Kaiser Jersey theyll have to do it without their top two scorers. and remain sidelined with knee injuries. Theyre also going to have to do it on no rest as the Avs will be playing their second game in as many days. Perhaps some of their momentum from a big 4-3 victory over Tom Lysiak Jersey the will carry over, but they face quite a challenge. Beyond breaking the streak, however, Colorado remains in a must-win situation. The Avs trail the by three points for the last wild card spot and will have to hope for some help from the Wilds opponents on top of winning their own games. For now, their playoff aspirations still have some steam, especially after that win over the Preds, but they're running out of time to close the gap. Meanwhile, St. Louis is deadlocked with the Stars at 99 points apiece. Both clubs have already clinched their playoff spot, but winning the division will probably also mean winning the conference and clinch home ice through at least the Western Conference Final. The Blues had the top seed in the Central last year and it didnt matter, but playing the inconsistent Wild (or Avalanche) probably sounds more appetizing than another first-round date with the . On top of the Blues playing for seeding, their goaltenders are also playing for the net in the postseason. It seems like Elliott may be making the decision easier with his play since returning from injury. Earning three straight shutouts after a month on the shelf is more than a little impre sive. He also leads the NHL presently with a .934 save percentage. He will start against the Avalanche. Meanwhile, Samuel Savoie Jersey St. Louis is also expected to get Alexander Steen back in the lineup. Steen has been out since Feb. 20. Despite his prolonged absence, Steen is still second on the team with 47 points. The Avs have not lost in three previous games against the Blues this season. That may help their confidence level, but having to go into this one without Duchene and MacKinnon, playing the second half of a back-to-back and the Blues seemingly playing their best hockey, this is not setting up well for Colorado. A lo s Tuesday night coupled with a Minnesota Wild win in Chicago wont officially eliminate them, but its going to feel pretty close if thats how Dale Tallon Jersey it all goes down. Pick: Blues 3, Avalanche 1 The rest of Tuesdays picks 3, 2 4, 2 4, 1 3, 1 3, 2 Wild 4, Blackhawks 3 Predators 4, Stars 2 5, 1