Can St. Louis Blues Get Back on Track Thursday vs. Dallas Stars?
Projected Lineup
It’s very possible that Dmitrij Jaskin could stay in the lineup Thursday and replace Nail Yakupov, who was bumped off the third line in favor of Jaskin during Tuesday’s loss. But it definitely appears as if Scottie Upshall, who sat out for the past three games while Jaskin took over the fourth line left wing spot, will reclaim that position in Dallas.
It’s also questionable as to whether Alex Pietrangelo will suit up on Thursday after suffering a lower-body injury during Tuesday’s game. If he can’t go, Brad Hunt—who was recalled from AHL Chicago on Wednesday–will have to play, and that will require some shuffling of the defensive pairs. It’d likely mean that either Kevin Shattenkirk or Colton Parayko would play alongside Jay Bouwmeester, with Hunt playing alongside Joel Edmundson.
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If the Blues hold a formal morning skate on Thursday, it should be very interesting to see what kind of lineup changes Ken Hitchcock has in store. Here’s a guess at what it might look like:
Alexander Steen-Patrik Berglund–David Perron
Jaden Schwartz–Jori Lehtera–Vladimir Tarasenko
Robby Fabbri–Paul Stastny–Dmitrij Jaskin
Scottie Upshall–Kyle Brodziak–Nail Yakupov
Jay Bouwmeester–Alex Pietrangelo
Carl Gunnarsson–Kevin Shattenkirk
Update, 12:58 PM: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeremy Rutherford speculates that Ryan Reaves will be out of the lineup on Thursday. That would drop Nail Yakupov down to the third line, give Dmitrij Jaskin a shot in the top nine, and re-install Scottie Upshall into the lineup.