St. Louis Blues vs. Anaheim Ducks: Game Preview
On Thursday night, the St. Louis Blues will face off against the Anaheim Ducks for the second time in 2014-15 and look to even their season series to 1-1. The Blues played the Ducks in Anaheim on October 19, the second game of a back-to-back and the last game of a three-game West Coast road trip, losing 3-0. That game was arguably the peak of the Blues’ injury woes, as it was the team’s first game without center Paul Stastny, and they were also missing center Jori Lehtera as he recovered from a bacterial infection that since has affected other members of the team.
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Thursday could be a big day for the Blues, as it’s possible that Stastny could return from the shoulder injury that has caused him to miss the last four games. The 28-year-old Stastny, who became one of the most prized free agent acquisitions in the history of the franchise this offseason, had a goal and three assists through three games before going down after playing 31 seconds in a game against the Arizona Coyotes.
On the flip side, the team may be without captain David Backes on Thursday, as he suffered what looked to be a possible concussion on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars. If both Backes and Stastny end up having to sit out, either Magnus Paajarvi or Chris Porter will have to be inserted into the lineup. It’s also worth noting that Ken Hitchcock said after Wednesday’s optional practice that several players were “banged up”, so there could be other players who also miss Thursday’s game.
Jake Allen, who is 1-1 on the season, will get his third start of the year in goal against Anaheim.