MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- So what does one do when its power play is worst in the league at 4.8 percent?
In the case of the St. Louis Blues, of course change is inevitable.
As in move people around to try and shake things up.
That's what the Blues (3-3-1) did on Tuesday prior to boarding a flight to Denver for their matchup against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
The Blues have started the season a paltry 1-for-21 through seven games, which is by far worse off that the next-worst team in the Chicago Blackhawks (9.1 percent).
On Tuesday, the Blues had Kevin Hayes at the net front with Jordan Kyrou on the left flank, Brandon Saad as the bumper, Brayden Schenn on the right flank and Torey Krug at the point; on the second unit, Justin Faulk was on the point, Robert Thomas was on the left flank, Jakub Vrana as the bumper, Pavel Buchnevich on the right flank and Jake Neighbours as the net front.
"A little more production for sure," coach Craig Berube said. "More of a two-unit deal. Just a little internal competition too. That helps sometimes. In the past it's worked. Just splitting them up a little bit and putting units together that we think will be successful."
The theme of Tuesday was shooting, early, often, one-timers, drive the net.
"We want to get more pucks to the net for sure," Berube said. "We want to be more of a shot power play for sure. Even off face-offs, make a quick play and look to shoot, try to get it to the net as quickly as possible.
"With Robert Thomas playing that other side, having another righty down there making plays too, you've got Vrana in the slot as a one-timer, 'Buchy' backdoor; they're on their one-time sides. That's the thought process there, same with Hayes on the other side of the goal line; he has the ability to make good plays down there and he's a big body for around the net. And again, you're looking at Kyrou coming in backdoor, [Hayes] a big guy that can take pucks to the net, be around the net, screen the goalie, those types of things. And Schenn's been pretty good on the flanks before, not afraid to shoot it. We need more volume at the net for sure."
But it's not necessarily the case with the point guys, although it might behoove the Blues to allow the point men to step into one-timers too.
"Not entirely," Berube said. "It does help a little bit up there. With Faulk and Krug, they both can one-time it pretty good, especially 'Faulker' can really rip it."
* Forward Alexey Toropchenko appears set to return after missing practice on Sunday with a lower-body injury, something Berube said was good to have an extra day off too with the team off Monday.
"He was good today in practice," Berube said. "I think he's probably good to go, yeah."
* Tyler Tucker looks like he will return after being a healthy scratch the past two games.
The defenseman has a goal in five games and is a minus-1 on the season and was sat the past two games as a result of leveled off play and the fact the Blues wanted to get Robert Bortuzzo and Scott Perunovich into the lineup for the first time.
"Well, both," Berube said. "'Tucks,' he had a couple tough games, I thought, but I wanted to try to get the other guys in there too. I don't want them sitting out long. That was the thought process there."
Tucker was skating with Nick Leddy with Marco Scandella moving up with Colton Parayko, but Berube said Leddy will skate with Parayko too depending on the situation.
