Berube shuffles lines in effort to bring better results from top six

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Craig Berube made some in-game changes during a 2-1 win against the Ottawa Senators that will see those changes moving forward, at least for the imminent future.

Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich swapped positions on the top two lines, Jake Neighbours was elevated to the top six and Ivan Barbashev was moved down to the third line.

Those appear to be changes that will be in place when the Blues (22-20-3) host the Nashville Predators (21-17-6) on Thursday at 7 p.m.

It means Saad will play with Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, Buchnevich will play with Schenn and Neighbours and Barbashev slides in with Noel Acciari and Josh Leivo.

"I just wasn't seeing enough out of either line," Berube said. "I think with 'Saader', he's more direct and I think when 'Buchy' was there, there was just too much outside hockey, I thought, and I need a guy around that's going to get in there more on the forecheck and around the net, drive pucks deep, simplify the game a little bit. Putting 'Buchy' with 'Schenner', they're both pretty good rush players, both of them. 'Buchy's going to have the puck more playing with those guys. I didn't think 'Buchy' was getting the puck enough playing with Thomas and Kyrou."

Thomas and Kyrou need someone that can drive the net more frequently, and Saad is someone that plays such a game.

"It's a different look," Thomas said. "He's a hard, physical, fast guy. He plays the right way, makes the right decisions all the time. It was a good change for us. I thought the third period when he was up there with us, I thought he played great and our line created a lot of chances with him on it. Different look and it worked out really well.

"He definitely complements us. He's a guy that brings a lot of composure to a line too. He's got a good demeanor and he's a smart player. I think he brings a good balance to the line. It worked in the third (period Monday), and we've got to continue to do that tomorrow."

Along with Saad's ability to drive the net, he does so with a speed element that perhaps flies under the radar.

"He's definitely got some sneaky speed," Thomas said. "I think straight line, I think he's one of the faster guys on our team and I don't think many people know that. He's got a ton of things in his game that are fun to play with and he's a good complementary piece to anyone for sure."

In the past three games, the Thomas and Schenn lines have accounted for a grand total of one goal (Buchnevich) after going on a strong run during a four-game road trip to begin January.

"The past three or four games, my line and Tommer's line haven't been, I guess, consistent enough," Schenn said. "This just kind of gives us a chance to shake it up and for all of us to get going again. The other lines have been playing great and scoring goals and stuff like that for us. It's a chance for himself to get her going again here and finding some chemistry here with Jake and 'Buchy'.

"Right now, offensive zone possession time is probably down a little bit and maybe that forces you to force things a little bit or think some chances are coming, but at the end of the day, you've just got to win your battles and be patient for your opportunities and possess the puck a little bit more down low. Off the rush, it's kind of always been there I guess as a team throughout the year, but I think we do a better job of hounding teams down low and possessing pucks and finding ways to score like that."

Neighbours has scored two of the Blues' past five goals in the past three games when the scoring well has dried up a bit, but Berube has seen a good amount of play from the 2020 first-round pick to thrust him up the lineup.

"He's going to get in there and battle down low and work, and he's going to be around the net," Berube said of Neighbours. "He's competitive on pucks."

Barbashev has two assists the past six games and going back even further, he has one goal and three assists in 13 games after a three-game point streak (one goal, three assists) that has the coaching staff searching for more.

"There's more. I think 'Barby' for me, it boils down to a little bit of urgency at times," Berube said. "I think there's just a little bit too much rest in his game.

"When he's on his game, he's skating and he's physical and shooting the puck. He has the ability to do those three things. He's a good skater, he's strong, physical and he's got to be more direct in my opinion with his puck play, and that's putting it deep if you have to or putting it to a good area or using his feet and skating it and attacking more at the net. Big body and being direct, shooting the puck, not passing up good opportunities."

* NOTES -- Vladimir Tarasenko was part of a full practice again on Wednesday, inching his way closer to returning to the lineup, but it probably won't be on Thursday.

Tarasenko, who has missed eight games with a hand injury, was part of a group of 26 skaters on the ice that included Scott Perunovich (shoulder), Marco Scandella (hip), Logan Brown (upper body) and Nikita Alexandrov (upper body).

"He's doing well," Berube said of Tarasenko. "He's getting closer and closer. He couldn't give me a time, a game. Like he didn't give me a game, but he's getting there."

Perunovich was cleared for, what Berube called "light, light" contact on Wednesday, and the coach said Alexandrov "should be good to go" after the forward missed Monday's game.