Snuggerud (wrist surgery), Kyrou (lower-body injury) each return after missing extensive time; Hofer gets eighth start in 14 games
ST. LOUIS – The reinforcements are returning for the St. Louis Blues.
After getting Alexey Toropchenko back on Dec. 15, two more forwards will make their way back into the lineup when Jordan Kyrou and Jimmy Snuggerud each return for the Blues (14-16-8) against the Nashville Predators (16-16-4) on Saturday (7 p.m.; KMOV-TV, Matrix-MW, FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).
Snuggerud is coming off left wrist surgery and has missed the past 12 games, last playing Nov. 29 against the Utah Mammoth; he went on the recent two-game trip through Florida to get the work in after skating for the past week and a half, two weeks on ice. Snuggerid will be on a line with Pius Suter and Dalibor Dvorsky.
“I think that was kind of the main goal when I got surgery was around this date,” Snuggerud said. “It’s nice I get to come back after Christmas and play hockey again.
“This was just a super-fluke accident, just the knob of my stick broke a bone in my hand and unfortunately, it doesn’t really heal on its own. Things like that happen in hockey and it’s nice to be back.”
Kyrou has missed the past nine games with a lower-body injury around his left knee; he has not played since Dec. 5 against the Ottawa Senators; he will suit up with Brayden Schenn and Jonatan Berggren.
“Skill, guys that we rely on not only to score but to help the whole, entire game and they’re dynamic, like both of them,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said.
With Kyrou and Snuggerud returning, it puts Mathieu Joseph and Robby Fabbri out of the lineup. It doesn’t put the lineup in flux yet, but roster decisions will have to be made when Nathan Walker and Nick Bjugstad, each out with an upper-body injury, and Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain) are set to come back.
“It’s up to those guys that have played well to keep playing well to make our decision hard,” Montgomery said.
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Having four days off since their last game, the Blues now much shift focus to a run of games (19) leading into the Winter Olympics break. They currently sit with 36 points and three out of a wild card spot.
“I think we showed a lot of tape just of ourselves, executing at a high level and I thought our energy and our pace this morning, morning skate, you can tell guys have gotten rest,” Montgomery said. “We were really sharp.”
The next five-plus weeks will determine a lot for not only the Blues but all those involved in a playoff chase.
“It’s a super-important time of the year,” Snuggerud said. ‘It’s a fun time of the year around the holidays, Christmas, guys bring energy. We need a strong push coming up here with the (Winter Olympic) break. We’ve got 19 games to do that. We’re looking forward to it, to have fun with each other and enjoy it and win games.”
The Blues have points in five of their past 10 games (5-4-1).
“I thought we defended hard (recently),” Montgomery said. “Outside of the Tampa game, I really liked the way we competed and were five guys playing together in all three zones.”
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The Blues’ power-play units featured Snuggerud and Kyrou on one unit, and Snuggerud occupying one of the bumper slots, an area that hasn’t been too kind to the team this year.
“I’ve been there before,” Snuggerud said. “’Tommer’s such a good passer, so many good players on that power play. Just try and find areas, get shots on net and hopefully score some goals.”
“I think he knows how to get open, and I think he knows how to support pucks,” Montgomery said of Snuggerud. “When you become a bumper, if you study the good bumpers in the league, they’re constantly just moving 2-3 feet to get open and then release it. He has the great release. He’s got to get used to getting open 2-3 feet.”
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Saturday marks the third time in 12 days the Blues and Predators will meet, and needless to say, Nashville has certainly got the better of the Blues, outscoring them 12-4.
“They’ve gotten to our net front, they’ve gotten to a lot of rebounds at our net front, they’ve been heavy,” Montgomery said. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re ready to match that tonight.”
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Blues Projected Lineup:
Jake Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Pavel Buchnevich
Jonatan Berggren-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou
Pius Suter-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jimmy Snuggerud
Alexey Toropchenko-Oskar Sundqvist-Otto Stenberg
Philip Broberg-Colton Parayko
Tyler Tucker-Justin Faulk
Cam Fowler-Logan Mailloux
Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
The healthy scratch includes Mathieu Joseph, Robby Fabbri and Matthew Kessel. Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain), Nathan Walker (upper body) and Nick Bjugstad (upper body) remain out.
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Predators Projected Lineup:
Filip Forsberg-Ryan O'Reilly-Luke Evangelista
Michael Bunting-Erik Haula-Steven Stamkos
Tyson Jost-Fedor Svechkov-Matthew Wood
Reid Schaefer-Michael McCarron-Cole Smith
Roman Josi-Nick Perbix
Brady Skjei-Adam Wilsby
Nicolas Hague-Nick Blankenburg
Juuse Saros will start in goal; Justus Annunen will be the backup.
The Predators have no healthy scratches. Ozzy Wiesblatt (upper body), Justin Barron (lower body) and Jonathan Marchessault (lower body) remain out.
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