Blues unveil 2017-18 regular-season schedule

Highlights include first matchups against expansion Vegas, home and 

home sets with Winnipeg, Chicago, home opener against Ken Hitchcock

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The NHL unveiled its 2017-18 regular-season schedule on Thursday afternoon, and it was already known that the Blues would open the season on Oct. 4 at Pittsburgh and open at home Oct. 7 against Ken Hitchcock and the Dallas Stars.

But the remainder of the Blues schedule was set, including 16 sets of back-to-back games, a season-long five-game homestand on Nov. 21-Dec. 1 and a road trip that doesn't exceed four games at any point.

The Blues will open with seven of their first nine games on the road, play the Winnipeg Jets in a true home-and-home set Dec. 16-17 and against the Chicago Blackhawks April 4 and 6.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins visit Scottrade Center for a matinee affair at 2 p.m. on Feb. 11 and the Blues' first matchup with the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators, who eliminated St. Louis in six games in the second round, come to St. Louis on Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving.

The Blues' first game against the expansion Vegas Golden Knights takes place in Las Vegas on Oct. 21, one of two visits for the Blues to the new NHL city. Vegas makes its only visit to St. Louis on January 4.

The Blues will finish against the Colorado Avalanche for the second straight season, this time in Denver on April 7.

Here is the Blues' full schedule, preseason and regular season: 

2017-18 ST. LOUIS BLUES SCHEDULE
PRESEASON
SEPTEMBER
19 -- at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
20 -- COLUMBUS, 7 p.m.
22 -- at Washington, 6 p.m.
23 -- DALLAS, 7 p.m.
24 -- vs. Pittsburgh at Belle Vernon, Pa., TBA
26 -- at Columbus, 6 p.m.
28 -- vs. Minnesota at Kansas City, 7 p.m.
OCTOBER
1 -- WASHINGTON, 2 p.m.

REGULAR SEASON
4 -- at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
7 -- DALLAS, 7 p.m.
9 -- at NY Islanders, Noon
10 -- at NY Rangers, 6 p.m.
12 -- at Florida, 6:30 p.m.
14 -- at Tampa Bay, 6 p.m.
18 -- CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
19 -- at Colorado, 8 p.m.
21 -- at Vegas, 9:30 p.m.
25 -- CALGARY, 7 p.m.
27 -- at Carolina, 6:30 p.m.
28 -- COLUMBUS, 7 p.m.
30 -- LOS ANGELES, 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER
2 -- PHILADELPHIA, 7 p.m.
4 -- TORONTO, 7 p.m.
7 -- at New Jersey, 6 p.m.
9 -- ARIZONA, 7 p.m.
11 -- N.Y. ISLANDERS, 7 p.m.
13 -- at Calgary, 8 p.m.
16 -- at Edmonton, 8 p.m.
18 -- at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
21 -- EDMONTON, 7 p.m.
24 -- NASHVILLE, 7 p.m.
25 -- MINNESOTA, 7 p.m.
29 -- ANAHEIM, 8 p.m.

DECEMBER
1 -- LOS ANGELES, 7 p.m.
2 -- at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
5 -- at Montreal, 6:30 p.m.
7 -- DALLAS, 7 p.m.
9 -- at Detroit,  - 6 p.m.
10 -- BUFFALO, 6 p.m.
12 -- TAMPA BAY, 7 p.m.
14 -- ANAHEIM, 7 p.m.
16 -- WINNIPEG, 6 p.m.
17 -- at Winnipeg, 5 p.m.
20 -- at Calgary, 8:30 p.m.
21 -- at Edmonton, 8 p.m.
23 -- at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
27 -- NASHVILLE, 7 p.m.
29 -- at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
30 -- CAROLINA, 7 p.m.

JANUARY
2 -- NEW JERSEY, 7 p.m.
4 -- VEGAS, 7 p.m.
6 -- at Philadelphia, Noon
7 -- at Washington - 2 p.m.
9 -- FLORIDA, 7 p.m.
16 -- at Toronto, 6 p.m.
18 -- at Ottawa, 6:30 p.m.
20 -- ARIZONA, 7 p.m.
23 -- OTTAWA, 7 p.m.
25 -- COLORADO, 7 p.m.
30 -- MONTREAL, 7 p.m.

FEBRUARY
1 -- at Boston, 6 p.m.
3 -- at Buffalo, 6 p.m.
6 -- MINNESOTA, 7 p.m.
8 -- COLORADO, 7 p.m.
9 -- at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
11 -- PITTSBURGH, 2 p.m.
13 -- at Nashville, 7 p.m.
16 -- at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
20 -- SAN JOSE, 7 p.m.
23 -- WINNIPEG, 7 p.m.
25 -- at Nashville, 5 p.m.
27 -- at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
28 -- DETROIT, 7 p.m.

MARCH
3 -- at Dallas, 1 p.m.
8 -- at San Jose, 9:30 p.m.
10 -- at Los Angeles, 3 p.m.
12 -- at Anaheim, 9 p.m.
15 -- vs. COLORADO, 7 p.m.
17 -- vs. N.Y. RANGERS, 7 p.m.
18 -- at Chicago, 6:30 p.m.
21 -- BOSTON, 7 p.m.
23 -- VANCOUVER, 7 p.m.
24 -- at Columbus, 6 p.m.
27 -- SAN JOSE, 7 p.m.
30 -- at Vegas, 9:30 p.m.
31 -- at Arizona, 7 p.m.

APRIL
2 -- WASHINGTON, 7 p.m.
4 -- CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
6 -- at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
7 -- at Colorado, 8 p.m.