Rivalries are made in the playoffs.

The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues are a perfect example of that. The clubs have met twice in the last three postseasons, with each side coming away with a series victory.

The playoffs are difficult enough as it is, but matching up against a divisional behemoth in the opening round? Both teams can relate:

Steen scores the winner

There isn't anything better in sports than sudden death overtime. In 2014, the Blues and Blackhawks served up a triple to hockey fans, playing into the wee hours of the night before somebody drew blood.

That was Blues forward Alex Steen, who scored 26 seconds into the third overtime frame, putting the Blues up 1-0 in the crucial opening round series. Blues goaltender Ryan Miller, recently acquired from the Buffalo Sabres, was also impressive in the 4-3 victory, finishing the night with 39 saves.

Blackhawks netminder Corey Crawford faced a busy night of his own, stopping 48 of 52 shots in the defeat.

Keith steals the show

Things were cheery in the Gateway City in 2014, with St. Louis coming out ahead of Chicago in a pair of overtime thrillers to kick off the series.

But then the Blackhawks stormed back with four victories of their own, including the Game 6 laugher that closed out the series, as Chicago won 5-1. That victory followed two Blackhawks wins that came in extra time. All told, four of the six games in the series required overtime.

In the end, Miller's time in the St. Louis crease ended in a nightmare, as he allowed five goals on just 27 shots in the final match. Blackhawks blue-liner Duncan Keith led the way in Game 6, finishing the night with one goal and three assists.

Slaying the playoff demons

Finally, a taste of playoff success. A 3-2 win in Game 7 over the Blackhawks gave the Blues the series win, as St. Louis knocked off the defending Stanley Cup champions.

In doing so, the Blues toppled the Blackhawks for just the fourth time in 12 postseason meetings dating back to 1973, and advanced to the second round for the first time since 2012, and just the third time since 2002.

The Blues kicked off Game 7 with a quick 2-0 lead. Chicago tied it in the second frame, but Blues winger Troy Brouwer provided the game-winning goal at 8:31 of the third period. St. Louis netminder Brian Elliott was key in the victory, making 31 stops on the night.

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Monday, Jan. 2 (all advanced stats are at 5-on-5 and courtesy of Corsica.Hockey) :

Triple Threat

• C Bo Horvat (48K), LW Sven Baertschi (40K) and RW Alex Burrows (27K), Canucks (vs. Avalanche): Officially Vancouver's third line at even strength, this trio combined for two goals and three assists in the Canucks' last game, and Horvat leads the team in both goals (10) and assists (15). The affordably-priced line should produce once again versus Colorado, which allows the most goals per game and ranks as the third-worst possession team in terms of Corsi For percentage.

• C Ryan Spooner (42K), RW David Pastrnak (61K) and D Torey Krug (42K), Bruins (at Devils) : Spooner is on a five-game point streak, but both his linemates, David Krejci and Frank Vatrano, are also classified as centers in Squad Up. He's joined here instead by fellow first-unit power play members Pastrnak and Krug. New Jersey has allowed the sixth-most man advantage opportunities, and slumping goaltender Cory Schneider holds a 2.90 GAA and a .904 save percentage on the season.

Goalie Breakdown

• TARGET: Corey Crawford (82K), Blackhawks (at Blues): Should the Winter Classic ultimately proceed as scheduled (rain is a concern), Crawford's fine form and friendly price tag makes him an ideal selection. Since returning from a three-week injury layoff on Dec. 23, Crawford has stopped 99 of 106 shots, and his 5-on-5 save percentage of 95.23 leads all goaltenders with at least 500 minutes played.

• BARGAIN: Tuukka Rask (75K), Bruins (at Devils): Coming in at the minimum price, Rask has won three of his last four starts. His season numbers are strong (1.92 GAA, .929 save percentage), though with the Bruins allowing the third-fewest shots against per 60 minutes, opportunities to rack up save points are rarely there. Facing the low-scoring Devils presents a solid opportunity for a win, however.

• FADE: Calvin Pickard (82K), Avalanche (at Canucks): Pickard has been shelled in each of his last three starts, allowing a total of 15 goals. He's won just six of 16 starts, and has a sub-.900 save percentage on the season. Even if he were to play well, suiting up for the league's lowest-scoring team doesn't help Pickard's chances of gabbing a win.

Bargain Plays

• C Frank Vatrano (28K), Bruins (at Devils): The aforementioned Vatrano has impressed since a late December promotion from the AHL, contributing two goals, two assists and 12 shots in five games. He's currently skating on the second line alongside Spooner and Krejci, and has seen some power play time as well. The opportunity for a substantial role is there with David Backes (concussion) sidelined.

• D Alex Pietrangelo (32K), Blues (vs. Blackhawks): Playing a team-leading 25:04 per game, Pietrangelo has just one fewer goal (seven) and five fewer assists (11) than pricier teammate Kevin Shattenkirk (42K). Averaging 4.33 combined shots and blocks per game helps his Squad Up appeal even when he can't get his name on the score sheet.

Top Fades

• RW Vladimir Tarasenko (78K), Blues (vs. Blackhawks): While similarly-priced counterpart Patrick Kane (83K) has the same concerns, Tarasenko's issue is that poor ice conditions at St. Louis' Busch Stadium may leave the sniper stuck in the mud. He's been in a slight dry spell, anyway, posting only one goal and one assist over his last six games.

• C Patrice Bergeron (56K), Bruins (at Devils): While still one of the game's best all-around forwards, Bergeron's offensive numbers have completely dropped off (12 points in 36 games) despite shooting over 3.5 times per contest. His fantasy points per game average can be met or exceeded by several different players, each of whom are easier on the wallet.

Contrarian Options

• D Tyson Barrie (46K), Avalanche (at Canucks): In spite of his team's poor overall form, Barrie is heating up as he enters 2017. He's tallied six assists in a four-game point streak, and he's recorded at least two shots in 11 straight games. He's scored just twice from 89 shots this season, and is due for some positive regression in that department as long as he keeps firing away.

• C Adam Henrique (53K), Devils (vs. Bruins): Playing on the second line at even strength may help Henrique avoid the defensive coverage of Bergeron. While the Devils struggle to score, he had a solid five goals and five assists in December, and reliably sees first-unit power play time. With three multi-point games in his last 12, Henrique offers a measure of explosiveness.

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The threat of inclement weather will not postpone the start of the Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues at Busch Stadium.

The start time will remain at noon CT, or 1 p.m. ET, the NHL announced Monday.

If the elements interfere once the game is underway, the league has a long list of backup plans in place:

• The game may be subject to one or more temporary stoppages once the puck has been dropped;
• Period and game format may be reconfigured to accommodate temporary stoppages;
• In the event of high winds at the ice surface, the clubs will switch ends at the midway point of the third period, and the faceoff will take place where the play was whistled dead. This will also occur at the midway point of overtime, if necessary;
• If the game goes to a shootout, the teams will choose which end they prefer to defend, which could be the same end;
• If the game is stopped permanently due to unplayable weather conditions, it'll be deemed official once two periods have been played, with the leading team being declared the winner;
• If the score is tied and the game is stopped permanently after two periods of play, both teams will be given one point in the standings with the opportunity to earn one more in a shootout;
• That shootout would take place immediately after regulation play has been stopped, but if the conditions make it impossible to hold the shoootout safely, it will instead take place before the regularly scheduled Blackhawks-Blues game on February 26 at the United Center, with St. Louis as the home team for the shootout exclusively;
• If the game begins and is stopped permanently due to unplayable conditions with fewer than two periods played, it will be postponed and played again in its entirety at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, Jan. 3, or a later date at Scottrade Center in St. Louis if the alternate outdoor scenario isn't feasible.

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The Ottawa Senators continue to fire blanks on the power play.

The club dropped a 2-1 decision to the Washington Capitals on Sunday, and have only themselves to blame. Down by a goal in the third period, the Sens were gifted a golden opportunity to tie things up when Washington's Brooks Orpik and Evgeny Kuznetsov were both assessed minor penalties at the 8:10 mark.

Up two men for a full two minutes, Ottawa's 5-on-3 resulted in only one shot on goal.

"It was frustrating," Kyle Turris said, according to the Ottawa Citizen's Bruce Garrioch. "We've got to score on the 5-on-3. We worked on (it) in practice. It's just not coming together and it's something we've got to keep working on."

The Sens have lost three in a row and have six full days off to lament their power-play struggles before hosting Washington on Saturday.

"There's a lot of things not working," Erik Karlsson added about the two-man advantage. "We're going to have to work on it. It's one of those things it's not going well enough for us. We've got to find a way to generate more."

Karlsson's got a goal and 11 assists when his team's up a man. He finished with one goal and 25 assists on the power play last season, when he had a career-high 82 points.

Ottawa heads into its league-mandated break with the NHL's 22nd-ranked power play, producing at 16 percent.

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John GIbson's going to remember New Year's Day 2017.

The Anaheim Ducks goaltender tied a franchise mark with a 51-save performance in a 4-3 shootout win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, equaling the club record set by Jonas Hiller in December 2008.

Gibson's night didn't look so promising to begin with. He was pulled early in the second period after allowing his third goal on 21 shots, and second in under 90 seconds, as the Ducks squandered a 3-1 lead. But Gibson's departure was apparently only for a breather. He returned and replaced backup Jonathan Bernier, who made one save in 3:48 of action.

The break worked. Gibson stopped all 33 shots he faced the rest of the way, and made four of five saves in the shootout to give the Ducks two points.

The Flyers ended the non-skills-competition portion of the game with a ridiculous 55-25 advantage on the shot clock. Randy Carlyle hockey, in other words:

The Ducks have won eight straight against the Flyers, and are 11-0-2 against Philly in the last 13 meetings between the teams.

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Auston Matthews would like to do it again.

The Maple Leafs' super-rookie scored twice - including the overtime winner - during Sunday's Centennial Classic, outdoors at BMO Field in Toronto with his family in attendance, and the 19-year-old loved every part of the spectacle.

Related: Watch: Matthews' OT winner redeems Leafs' 3rd period collapse

"Definitely one of the best moments in hockey I've ever experienced for myself," Matthews said, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. "It's pretty special. All 23 guys out there, we played a pretty solid game ... it's a bigger setting, a lot more fans, that national stage."

More than 40,000 took in the festivities, part of the club's and league's centennial season celebration, and most went home happy, with Toronto coming out on top 5-4 in overtime.

"For us to come out and get that win, it was a pretty exciting game," Matthews added. "People were on the edge of their seats in the third period and overtime. Just really fun to experience this whole thing."

Matthews has 20 goals and 12 assists in 36 games and leads Toronto - and all NHL rookies - in scoring.

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Henrik Zetterberg enjoys the elements.

The Detroit Red Wings captain played in his fourth outdoor game Sunday and racked up three assists in his team's 5-4 overtime loss, tying a record for helpers in an NHL game played outside he set in 2009.

Zetterberg now has seven points - all assists - in outdoor games, tops among those who've been fortunate enough to take part in the spectacles.

"It was nice to see we could rally and get back there in the third," Zetterberg said, according to the Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James. "Unfortunately, it got away from us a little bit earlier in the third. ... In the end, I guess it was a good show for the fans."

Zetterberg's riding a six-game point streak, with a goal and seven assists during the run.

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Ryan Kesler is your 2017 NHL goal-scoring leader.

The Anaheim Ducks forward picked up his fourth career hat trick early into the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.

Kesler fired a puck from the hash marks that found its way through the pads of Steve Mason. His three goals give him 15 on the season and, for the time being, see him as the top-scorer in 2017 - though, to be fair, there are still 364 days to go.

(Video courtesy: NHL.com)

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