Get ready for another emotional Blues-Blackhawks playoff series

For the second time in three seasons, the St. Louis Blues find themselves staring at the rival Chicago Blackhawks in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

In a series that begins Wednesday at Scottrade Center, the Blues will host the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks in the first two games before returning to United Center in Chicago for Games 3 and 4.

“Might as well start at the top,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said of the Blackhawks’ first-round matchup. “We get first crack at them.”

Game 1 is set for 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Scottrade Center, with Game 2 at 7 p.m. Friday, also in St. Louis. The series shifts to Chicago for Game 3 (2 p.m. Sunday) and Game 4 (8:30 p.m.. April 19).

The matchup between two of the NHL’s top regular season teams was set after the Blues lost 5-1 to Washington on Saturday night in their regular season finale, though it would have happened anyway since the Dallas Stars won their final game.

The Blues (49-24-9) finished second behind Dallas in the Central Division standings with 107 points, winning 14 of their final 18 games. Chicago (47-26-9) was third with 103 points.

The Blues and Blackhawks also met in the opening round in 2014, with the Blues winning the first two games before dropping four straight.

The teams met five times this season with the Blues winning three, including twice in overtime. The Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups in the past six seasons under former Blues coach Joel Quenneville.

“I expect a hard, hard series,” Quenneville told reporters after a 5-4 overtime loss to Columbus on Saturday. “We know that we are going to have our hands full. They are as good as any team in the league.”

The Blackhawks welcomed back goaltender Corey Crawford from his upper-body injury on Saturday. Crawford, who had been out since March 14, stopped 20 shots in the 5-4 overtime defeat to the Blue Jackets.

The regular season finale did not include injured Blackhawks Marian Hossa, Artem Ansimov and Andrew Shaw, while defenseman Duncan Keith must sit out the first game of the playoffs to complete a five-game suspension. Blues forward David Backes did not play last week because of a lower-body injury, but is expected to return for the playoffs.

The two rivals are led offensively by two of the top forwards in the game. Chicago’s Patrick Kane had 46 goals and 106 points while Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko had 40 goals and 74 points.

This story was originally published April 10, 2016 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Get ready for another emotional Blues-Blackhawks playoff series."