CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith has been ruled out for Sundays game against the Atlanta Falcons. Panthers coach Ron Rivera made the announcement following Fridays practice, adding that running back Jonathan Stewart (knee) and defensive tackle Colin Cole (calf) will not play either. Smith sprained his left knee during Carolinas 17-13 win over New Orleans last Sunday. The win assured the Panthers a playoff spot, but this weeks game looms even larger. Carolina (11-4) can wrap up the NFC South division title and a first-round bye by beating the Falcons. "Steve has actually improved a lot," Rivera said. "In Steves way he basically said if I had to I would play this weekend. He probably couldnt, but he would try." Rivera, however, said the team doesnt want to risk losing Smith for the playoffs. "Not a chance," Rivera said. "Its about going forward. This game is very important and we know it. But there are other things ahead, too." Rivera said if the Panthers dont win the NFC South and secure a first-round bye, he expects Smith would be ready to play next Sunday in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Smith leads the team with 67 receptions for 774 yards and five touchdowns. Ted Ginn Jr. is expected to start at wide receiver for Smith, but Domenik Hixon will see increased action. Falcons coach Mike Smith acknowledged earlier in the week his team will probably alter how it defends the Panthers if Smith doesnt play. "Steve Smith is one of the most competitive, not just wide receivers, football players that Ive been fortunate enough or, weve been fortunate enough, to compete against," Smith said. "He brings a lot of energy. He brings a lot of passion to the way he plays the game. You do defend a little bit differently when Steve Smith is in the game based on where hes aligned and what the down and distance is, because to me hes one of the marquis wide receivers still in the NFL." Rivera said hes interested to see what Brandon LaFell will do as Carolinas primary wide receiver. LaFell is third on the team in receptions with 49 for 627 yards and five touchdowns. "Brandon has done nothing but take strides and get better as a football player," Rivera said. "And it will also be good to see as far as Ted Ginn is concerned and Domenik Hixon. These three guys have done some really good things for us. It will help us gauge where were at." The Panthers are also expected to lean heavily on tight end Greg Olsen, who has 64 receptions for 747 yards and four touchdowns. NOTES: Safety Robert Lester was added to the injury report Friday as questionable after getting his ankle stepped on at practice. Authentic Soccer Jerseys . The redshirt freshman finished the regular season with nearly 3,500 passing yards, and 35 touchdowns with another three on the ground while leading the Seminoles to the top of the BCS Rankings. Soccer Jerseys Black Friday . 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After the way the move paid off, Hitchcock might want to make the change permanent. Berglund scored twice after moving from centre to left wing at the start of the second period, and Vladimir Sobotka and Alex Pietrangelo each had a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 Saturday night for their fifth straight win. The two goals pushed Berglunds total to six, after a slow first half. "I dont think I can think about it too much," Berglund said. "Obviously, its been slow, but if I start thinking about it, changing the way I played, that would change the way I prepared, too. Ive just been working even harder in practice, shooting more pucks and trying to get it going that way." Hitchock switched Berglund from centre to left wing for just the second time since taking over the Blues early in the 2011-12 season. Columbus, which led 2-0 lead after the first period, has lost three of four after winning three in a row. Three of the Blues past five wins were at home, where they have won four straight. Despite injuries to key players such as David Backes and Alexander Steen, Hitchcock said his team is playing its best this season. "I think weve played some really good hockey in the last four games at home. I think thats what were happiest about," he said. "Weve got a way of playing now. I think what weve done here at home is weve developed a balance between offence and defence." St. Louis, off to its best start midway through a season with 63 points, has scored at least five goals in five of its past eight games. Maxim Lapierre gave St. Louis its first lead at 3-2 with his fifth goal just 94 seconds after Sobotkas sixth goal tied it at 17:29 of the second period. St. Louis got on the board about seven minutes into the second period when Barret Jackmans shot from the right side glanced off Berglund. The puck hit the far post and trickled past Curtis McEhlinney. His second goal came 17 seconds into the third when he deflected a pass into the goal. "Today, I had pretty much two lucky bounces but good things happen when you go to the net," he said.dddddddddddd Jaden Schwartz added his 15th goal about midway through the third to make it 5-2. Hes scored in seven of his last eight games. Pietrangelo finished the scoring with about six minutes remaining. "We played a 20-minute game, tonight," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "They made a push and got their game to another level and we were unwilling to do that. They played a real simple game. We stopped skating. Our compete level wasnt nearly good enough. Body language wasnt good coming off the ice. "Eventually there has to be a response. I didnt like the way we reacted to it," he added. St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott has won 13 consecutive home games, extending a franchise record he set with a 5-0 shutout against Los Angeles on Thursday. McElhinney stopped 31 shots. Elliott faced 23, making 21 saves. Mark Letestu gave the Blue Jackets a 2-0 lead midway through the first. His shot from outside the left circle hit a Blues defender and popped over Elliott for his second goal of the season. The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead four minutes into the game. Artem Anisimov, standing alone in the middle of the zone with his back to Elliott, took a pass from Brandon Dubinsky. He whipped around and slapped a shot past Elliott, who didnt move as if he didnt see the shot. It was the 12th goal of the year for Anisimov. "We got off to kind of a rocky start in the first," Berglund said. "But, really, the whole team really grabbed it in the second and third." NOTES: St. Louis D Jordan Leopold saw his first action since being activated from injured reserve. He was out since November with a torn ligament in his right hand. ... Blues G Joroslav Halak missed his fourth consecutive game with flu-like symptoms. He got pulled after a period Dec. 28 against Chicago before sitting the next four, all St. Louis wins. Hes expected to make the start of a three-game trip starting Tuesday at Edmonton. ... St. Louis RW David Backes returned after missing three games with an upper-body injury and had two assists. ' ' '