MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues were supposed to suit up their full lineup in what amounts to be a dress rehearsal for the regular-season opener a week from today when they play against the Dallas Stars, their opponent on Oct. 12 in the same venue.
The Blues (2-2-2) and Stars (4-0-1) play for keeps next week, but each will dress a pretty heavy NHL-caliber lineup, with the Blues doing more so, for their second preseason game in six days against each other at 7 p.m. today at American Airlines Center.
The Blues will be without forward Alexey Toropchenko, who left the morning skate with what coach Craig Berube said is a lower-body injury.
"He's got a lower body, he's hurting so he's not going to go tonight. Just precautionary," Berube said. "I'm not worried about it. It kind of just came up. Just out of the blue kind of thing. He should be fine."
Toropchenko, who was supposed to play on the fourth line with Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Neighbours, will be replaced by Nikita Alexandrov, one of three forwards likely battling for the one remaining slot the Blues will keep when regular-season rosters have to be set Monday by 4 p.m. (CT).
Alexandrov is battling with veterans Nathan Walker and Mackenzie MacEachern.
"Tonight is a big game for him to go out and play with some intensity and really skate and work and be noticeable," Berube said of Alexandrov. "I think that's important. I think he's got to come with some more intensity and urgency in his game."
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Instead of holding off their full lineups for perhaps the final preseason game, the Blues and Stars are each playing a good amount of NHL players tonight, with the Blues playing more.
The Stars are missing some skaters tonight, whether being held out or due to injury, but a fair amount of skaters are in the lineup for Dallas that weren't when the teams met this past Saturday in Independence, Mo., a 4-3 overtime win by the Stars.
"They're going to have a decent lineup tonight, a pretty good lineup," Berube said. "I wanted to get one game in with our whole team and this is the game we wanted to get our team out there."
The Blues close out their preseason schedule Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks at Enterprise Center, and it is unlikely the Blackhawks field many, if any, if their NHL skaters in that game.
"It's a good test (tonight)," Blues defenseman Marco Scandella said. "The last couple preseason games are always more intense than the first few. They're going to bring a strong lineup just like us. It's going to feel like a regular season game.
"We're gearing up for the season, everyone wants to have a good start, we want to have a good start in this room. You've got to play hard, we've got to start learning how to play with each other, playing to the system and play 60 minutes and it starts tonight."
Berube said he will allow the skaters to decide who plays Saturday.
"I think the guys we have here will probably figure it out what we want to do after tonight and mix and match for the game," he said.
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Speaking of Scandella, he and Tyler Tucker will account for the Blues' third defensive pair likely when the season opens next week.
The only question that remains is which lefty plays the right side.
"We're just trying things, it's training camp, see who's more comfortable there," Scandella said. "We're both lefties. I feel like the advantage we have is if one guy ends up somehow on the other side defending, we can both play the position. We've both been practicing both sides in camp.
"We're getting familiar with each other in training camp, learning each other's tendencies. It's just going to come with time. I feel like we're getting better every day with it."
Scandella opened there when the pair was first put together but now the sides have flipped.
"I haven't played (the right) in a few years," Tucker said. "I played it probably two years in junior, but it's been a while. There's definitely adjustments. You're doing everything on the other side of the ice, so you've obviously got to adapt to it. We'll see how it goes tonight.
"It's been good. Obviously he's played a lot of games, he knows what he's doing out there. It's been really helpful to be able to lean on him. Obviously you get to know him as a player a bit more. We didn't spend too much time together last year. It's been really helpful having him there."
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Those that aren't playing tonight were part of the same group, other than Alexandrov, that skated before the main group on Thursday.
They included goalie Malcolm Subban; defensemen Matthew Kessel and Calle Rosen; and forwards Walker, MacEachern, Alexandrov, Zachary Bolduc and Mathias Laferriere. Zach Dean was supposed to be part of the group but was absent.
"Dean is sick today, kept him home," Berube said.
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The Blues' projected lineup:
Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jordan Kyrou
Brandon Saad-Brayden Schenn-Kasperi Kapanen
Jakub Vrana-Kevin Hayes-Sammy Blais
Nikita Alexandrov-Oskar Sundqvist-Jake Neighbours
Nick Leddy-Colton Parayko
Torey Krug-Justin Faulk
Marco Scandella-Tyler Tucker
Scott Perunovich-Robert Bortuzzo
Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.
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The Stars' projected lineup:
Mason Marchment-Matt Duchene-Joe Pavelski
Evgenii Dadonov-Mavrik Bourque-Logan Stankoven
Jamie Benn-Ty Dellandrea-Craig Smith
Matej Blumel-Oskar Back-Kyle McDonald
Esa Lindell-Nils Lundkvist
Thomas Harley-Lian Bichsel
Ryan Suter-Joel Hanley
Jake Oettinger will start in goal; Remi Poirier will be the backup.
