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(Sports Network) - While the Devils hope a return home can help vault them into the Atlantic Division's top spot, the Blues are banking that another second-half surge can get them into the postseason.

New Jersey aims for a fifth straight victory at the Prudential Center this evening versus a St. Louis club that has won eight of its last 11 games to stay in the playoff hunt.

The Devils kick off a three-game homestand tonight and are 24-9-1 at The Rock this season. However, New Jersey lost for a fourth straight time on the road last time out, dropping a 2-1 shootout decision in Toronto on Thursday.

David Clarkson had a regulation goal and Yann Danis made 25 saves but was then beaten three times in the shootout portion, while the Devils managed to score just once in losing for the second time in six games.

"We just didn't play a full 60 minutes," Clarkson said. "That's a hard-working team over there. Every time we play them, they come out hard and we let two points get away from us."

However, New Jersey did secure a point to move one behind Pittsburgh for the top spot in the division. The Penguins host the Hurricanes today.

While The Devils are just about a lock for the postseason, the Blues enter this game six points back of the eighth spot in the Western Conference with 12 games to play.

St. Louis, though, is 8-3-0 over its last 11 games as it tries to mirror last year's finish. In 2008-09, the Blues went an NHL-best 25-9-7 in the second half to jump from 15th in the conference to sixth. They ended the season 9-1-1 over 11 games but were swept out of the first round by the Canucks.

The Blues snapped a two-game slide on Thursday when they knocked off the Rangers, 4-3. Paul Kariya snapped a three-all tie with his 400th career goal at 8:24 of the third period.

"I don't really pay too much attention to stats, and I never concern myself too much with them," said Kariya, who reached the milestone in his 978th career game. "Obviously it's a nice milestone, but the two points was more important in the game tonight. We needed the win."

St. Louis scored four times despite a season-low 16 shots. Brad Boyes, Erik Johnson and Mike Weaver all added goals, with Weaver lighting the lamp for the first time since March 23, 2007.

Ty Conklin made 26 stops in the victory, as the Blues won for the fifth time in seven road games while improving to 21-11-4 as the guest.

St. Louis, though, has struggled at New Jersey, where they had lost four straight before a 3-2 win at what was then known as the Continental Airlines Arena on Jan. 10, 2007.

The Blues, who have lost nine of their last 12 in the Garden State, then dropped a 4-3 test to the Devils at home last year for their sixth loss in the last seven games in the series.