(12-30-23) Blues-Penguins Gameday Lineup

Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports - (12-30-23) Blues-Penguins Gameday Lineup

If anything of a silver lining came from Friday's 2-1 loss against the Colorado Avalanche for the St. Louis Blues is that they feel they're playing the right way.

"I hope so," Blues goalie Jordan Binnington said. 'We're buying into the system, we're playing the right way. We had better game management, which I think is important. It's stemming from our breakout. Hopefully it's a sign of great things to come."

Morning skate report vs. Penguins (12-30-23)

The Blues (18-16-1) don't have much time to dwell on it as they get right back at it today at 6 p.m. for a road tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins (16-13-4) at PPG Paints Arena on BSMW, ESPN 101.1-FM.

Last night's loss against the Avs was a perfect example of perhaps deserving a better fate but not getting the result.

Those are going to be the ebbs and flows to a season; you'll get those, and the Blues have had them already where they won but the other team outplayed them, and some will go against you also.

"I thought we played a good game obviously," Blues defenseman Colton Parayko said. "Just all around, I thought 'Binner' made some good saves in the back there, forwards did a great job too. I think everyone did a great job, but just a classic Central Divisional game, tough, close scoring."

The Blues did an outstanding job of shutting down the Colorado top line with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin; they ended MacKinnon's point streak (13 goals, 23 assists) at 19 games in the process, and they'll have to do so again tonight against the likes of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell and Reilly Smith.

"Nothing changed for us really," Parayko said. "I think obviously our forwards did a good job of coming back and helping in support. I know they had their sticks in there quite a bit and interrupted a bit. Everyone just stayed tight on them in the d-zone and things like that. But credit to the forwards for kind of staying tight.

"They come fast, little chips in areas and things like that. They're coming fast with a lot of speed and a lot of skill. They move the puck well, they've been playing together for a long time. You know what you're getting so just try and defend hard."

Blues interim coach Drew Bannister liked the way the Blues defended against top players and will need a similar effort again here tonight.

"We forced them to defend," Bannister said. "We didn't allow them to have the puck as much. I thought we did a good job managing the puck, especially in the first period to not allow them to create as much as they did off the rush. I think that's something you have to be aware of when they're on the ice. They like to open the game up and I thought our guys were pretty responsible playing against them.

"I liked the way we defended. I thought we did a good job forcing them to defend, which allowed us to get to our offense and not allow them to play to their game. We got to a good forecheck, we got to pucks back. I thought we did a good job of managing the puck in the offensive zone holding on. We certainly created a lot tonight, the opportunities were there. We need to finish on those chances."

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Offense has been hard to come by for Blues center Brayden Schenn lately, and it has to be taking a toll on the captain.

Schenn has now gone scoreless and pointless for nine straight games, the longest dry spell since joining the Blues for the 2017-18 season and it's the longest stretch since a 10-game drought with the Philadelphia Flyers from March 5-28, 2013.

"Yeah, it's going in flows right now for me personally," Schenn said. "Obviously a cold streak in my career. But the way you get through it is you work through it. That's mentally and after practice, before practice. This league is not easy, we all know that. But on the same side of it, mentally when you come out on the other side of it and grind through some adversity, it's only going to feel that much better. I was happy with my game against Dallas (Wednesday). I had some chances, didn't go in. For me right now, the more you think about it, the worse it gets, so you just go out there and play and worry about the simple things, and the puck will start going in."

Schenn's game against Dallas was excellent. He won 15 of 18 face-offs in the game and did produce scoring chances, and as long as the little things away from the puck are up to speed, one can battle through a scoring slump.

"Yeah, I'm sure you've heard me say that before, if you're not scoring in the NHL, you have to find a way to be effective," Schenn said. "I feel my game as a whole right now, through spurts, it's not where it needs to be. I'm not saying I feel like I'm where I need to be. But I'm going to focus on last game and it'll give me something to build on. I felt like I played hard and played well, kind of a new mindset after Christmas and just keep on building. That's all you can really control. You don't really control the last 33 games or whatever it may be. Focus on the next one and that's all you can really focus on."

Schenn and linemates Kasperi Kapanen, who also is going through a scoring slump of his own without scoring a goal in 21 straight games and makes his return to Pittsburgh tonight for the first time since being put on waivers last season, along with Jake Neighbours, keep plodding along trying to be a supporting cast for the top line with Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou.

"On the offensive side, he's getting the opportunities," Bannister said of Schenn. "I think for me and the conversations I've had with Brayden is focus in on his defensive habits, making sure that he's a responsible player, he sees some tough minutes and some tough matchups. Defensive has to come first with him. I think the offense will come secondary and he's getting those opportunities, and eventually they're going to go in. He's too good of a player not to be able to score. We have a couple guys in those slumps that are not scoring but away from the puck, they've played well for us, and I think that's got to be with Brayden is making sure that when he's in his zone, that it's clean and he's responsible. And again, leading the way. He's our captain. When he gets on the ice, he pulls a lot of guys into the fight, his linemates and our team."

Chances have been there for Schenn, who has 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) through 35 games but he has to shoot the puck more. He's only had 13 shots on goal the past nine games, and four of them came against the Stars Wednesday.

"For a nine or 10-game segment, I'll say no, but spurts in games, I had some breakaways in Florida, hit some posts, had a 3-on-1 ... the chances have been there," Schenn said. "For me personally, try and find ways to create volume. You just can't rely on one or two a night. That's not point-blank chances. That's second and third opportunities, or tips, or whatever it may be. So, like I said, this is adversity for me to battle through and I'm looking forward to the challenge.

"... No. 1, winning is most important. No. 2, you want to be a part of the wins in some regard, whether that's producing or little plays in the game that help a team win. At the end of the day, you just want to try and make an impact on the game. I feel I've got a whole lot better and that's what I want to work towards the second half of this year."

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It's been a while since injuries have been talked about with the Blues, but they will be without defenseman Justin Faulk tonight after he was injured in the waning seconds of the loss Friday with a lower-body injury.

"He plays a lot of minutes," Bannister said. "We're going to need some guys here to step up and fill that void and obviously if we have to recall somebody, that person's going to have to be able to come in and step in, but he's an important player for us. Moving forward, if we don't have him for the next little while, we need guys to step up."

The Blues, who don't play again until Thursday when they host the Vancouver Canucks, did make a call-up on Saturday, bringing up defenseman Matthew Kessel from Springfield of the American Hockey League.

Bannister updated the lineup for tonight, and Kessel will make his season debut; he has six points (two goals, four assists) in 29 games with the Thunderbirds and keep Tyler Tucker a healthy scratch.

Also, defenseman Marco Scandella will play after taking that follow-through shot to the facial area by Andrew Cogliano but it was a scary moment. Scandella did return to the bench late in the game.

Aside from Buchnevich missing the third and fourth games with a lower-body injury, and Sammy Blais being dinged up for a game early in the season, the Blues have been relatively clean from an injury standpoint.

Bannister's update is that Faulk won't be day to day, but it's not as serious as they originally though, which is good news. It's probably safe to say week to week.

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The Blues' projected lineup:

Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jordan Kyrou

Brandon Saad-Brayden Schenn-Jake Neighbours

Alexey Toropchenko-Kevin Hayes-Kasperi Kapanen

Mackenzie MacEachern-Oskar Sundqvist-Sammy Blais

Nick Leddy-Colton Parayko

Torey Krug-Matthew Kessel

Marco Scandella-Scott Perunovich

Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Nikita Alexandrov and Tyler Tucker. Justin Faulk (lower body) is out.

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