The Blue Jackets secured their first trip to the NHL playoffs with a 4-3 shootout win over Chicago Wednesday, but they still have something to play for.

The Jackets need one point in their final two games - vs. the Blues tonight and at home Saturday against Minnesota - to wrap up the sixth seed. With the sixth seed, the Jackets would likely face Vancouver in the playoffs. If they drop to the seventh seed, they could meet Detroit.

Columbus head coach Ken Hitchcock and the Blue Jackets are also aware of the Blues’ circumstances tonight.

“The game tonight is going to force us to play well,” Hitchcock said. “This will be, for me, as intense a game as these hockey players have ever been in. Everything is at stake for St. Louis. We will have to get our level up to compete or we will get run out of the building.”

For more on the Blue Jackets’ morning skate today, click here for the Columbus Dispatch’s hockey blog, written by Aaron Portzline and Tom Reed. Both are in St. Louis for tonight’s game.

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Even if Columbus has wrapped up a playoff spot, Blues coach Andy Murray doesn’t buy into the belief that the Blue Jackets don’t have as much to play for as the Blues.

“The idea that a team wouldn’t play you hard doesn’t exist in this league,” Murray said. “Columbus, we’ve got a winning record against them right now, and they want to come into our building and knock us off and secure their sixth place . . . play good going into the playoffs. We’re expecting their very best tonight.”

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The Blues have played 17 games since the trade deadline. Take a look at how the offense has been spread out since then:

David Backes: 20 points (13 g, 7 a)

Brad Boyes: 18 points (7 g, 10 a)

T.J. Oshie: 16 points (5 g, 11 a)

Andy McDonald: 15 points (5 g, 10 a)

David Perron: 12 points (6 g, 6 a)

Keith Tkachuk: 10 points (5 g, 5 a)

Patrik Berglund: 9 points (4 g, 5 a)

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From Game No. 42 of the season through Wednesday’s games, the Blues had the best winning percentage of every team in the league:

1. BLUES (.679)

2. New Jersey (.654)

3. Pittsburgh (.654)

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Murray has 99 wins as coach of the Blues in 216 games. He would become the fourth-fastest coach in club history to reach 100 wins with a victory tonight.

1. Joel Quenneville (it took 204 games to reach 100 wins)

2. Brian Sutter (212)

3. Scotty Bowman (216)

4. MURRAY (217 ???)

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It’s been a good couple of days for Blues prospect Alex Pietrangelo. On Thursday, Hockey’s Future named the defenseman the No. 1 NHL propsect for spring 2009. Click here to read the rest of the prospects ranked 1-10.

Then today, Dave Eminien of the Peoria Journal-Star is reporting that Pietrangelo is making his way to Peoria to join the Rivermen. Click here to read more from Eminien.

Here’s the situation with Pietrangelo, as I wrote in my Blues’ chat Thursday. The only reason Pietrangelo can play in Peoria now is because his junior season with the Niagara IceDogs is over. Next year, because he has another year of junior eligibility, Pietrangelo must either play with the Blues or be returned to Niagara. He can NOT play in Peoria next year, until his junior season is completed. Those rules are established to protect the junior teams. If they weren’t in place, NHL teams would keep their prospects playing in the AHL.

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Finally, I spoke with Blues prospect Lars Eller yesterday. He’s in town following surgery for a dislocated left shoulder.

Here are the facts about the situation:

-About two weeks ago, Eller fell on the ice playing for his club in Sweden and dislocated his shoulder.

“It happened in Game 5 of the playoffs,” Eller said. “I got a hit, not even a big hit, a push from behind . . . just caught off guard. I felt it right away. It just popped out.”

-Eller’s shoulder has been bothering him for three or four years, according to him, but it was never to the point where it needed surgery.

“The truth is it started bothering me three or four years ago,” Eller said. “It started with sub-blexations, not total dislocation, but almost. It was getting worse and worse, but I started doing rehab 1 1/2 years ago. Ever since then, it’s been going really good. It’s actually been going pretty good this year. I haven’t had trouble with it until two weeks ago when (the accident) happened. I’d rather fix it, so I don’t have to worry about it anymore. There was a big chance it would continue to bother me.”

- Eller will be sidelined for several months, but says he will be in training camp with the Blues and plans to play in North America next year no matter what.

“I’m going to miss the World Championships, which would have been a good experience,” Eller said. “But now I’m going to be ready for camp. I’m still going to be able to work out in the summer, which will be important for preparing for next season. Of course, it stinks but I’m still happy about getting it down.

“I will be at (Blues training) camp for sure with my eye on making the team. I want to be with the team when they open in Stockholm next year. I’m committed to coming over this year, even it’s going to be Peoria. I’ll do that, too. I’m feeling like I want to have a new challenge now. That’s my intentions to be here. If the staff sends me to Peoria, I’ll work my butt off there. I want to come over.”

JR