St. Louis Blues Game Preview: Olli Jokinen Looks to Make Impact in Debut Against Toronto Maple Leafs

The St. Louis Blues will attempt to get back on the winning track on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Blues, who have lost two straight heartbreakers, losing in a shootout to the Vancouver Canucks after their own incredible comeback on Sunday and then becoming the victims of a Philadelphia Flyers third-period comeback on Thursday, need to pick up a win in Toronto to keep their ground in the standings. The Blues sit in second place in the Central Division, four points behind the first-place Nashville Predators, but just two points ahead of the third-place Chicago Blackhawks.

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In theory, Toronto shouldn’t be that formidable of an opponent, as they’ve struggled and currently sit in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a 26-34-5 record. They’ve lost three of their past four games.

It will be a night full of reunions at the Air Canada Centre. On the St. Louis side, newly-acquired forward Olli Jokinen will make his Blues debut and will face the Maple Leafs, who he played six games for over roughly two weeks after being traded there by the Nashville Predators. Defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who played the first five seasons of his career with the Leafs, will also make his first return to Toronto.

The player that Jokinen was traded for, Joakim Lindstrom, is expected to get a chance to face the players who were his teammates less than a week ago. Lindstrom played in 34 games for the Blues, mostly during the early part of the season, but had become a healthy scratch on almost a nightly basis before being dealt.

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Defenseman Roman Polak, who was dealt for Gunnarsson this past offseason, and former Blues captain Eric Brewer, who was dealt by the Anaheim Ducks to the Leafs at the deadline, will also get a chance to face their former team.

There will likely only be one change in the Blues’ lineup on Saturday night. As previously mentioned, Jokinen will play his first game in a Blues uniform, and he’ll likely replace fourth-line center Marcel Goc. The goaltender for Saturday’s game hasn’t been announced, but it’s expected that Brian Elliott will once again fill the role after experiencing success in his recent starts.

Next: What Depth Players Can the Blues Count on Down the Stretch?