StLouisBlues.com’s Chris Pinkert posted a game-day notebook article ahead of tonight’s game vs. the Detroit Red Wings, and it’s worth your time to give Pinkert’s work a look as he sets up tonight’s game from the Blues’ perspective–and the Blues are absolutely delighted to have Brayden Schenn returning to the lineup this evening:
Now everyone is healthy, and that includes Brayden Schenn, who will return to the lineup Wednesday after missing nine games with an upper-body injury.
“It’s really good to see (Schenn) back,” said Blues Head Coach Craig Berube. “He pushed (to come back) even last game, but we held him out. He’s good to go. He’s a very good player for us, two-way player, we know that. He can provide offense for us, but he plays a hard game. He does a lot of things for us.
“His play on the ice, he leads by example,” Berube added. “He’s been a guy that’s been around for a long time now, he’s played a lot of good hockey in his career. He demands things, represents our team a certain way. From hard work, the way he plays the game, it rubs off on the rest of our team.”
On Wednesday morning, Schenn was centering a line with Brandon Saad and Jordan Kyrou, and that’s where he’s likely to play when the Blues meet the Detroit Red Wings at 7:30 p.m. (BSMW, 101 ESPN). With a full roster, Berube has some flexibility in deciding his lineup.
“We moved some guys around because we had to with Schenn back,” Berube said. “It’s good to be healthy and have moving parts in your lineup. It doesn’t get stale that way. It’s just more balance with Schenner back, down the middle of the ice, we’re pretty strong in my opinion. We have other guys that are playing wing that can play center. That’s a good position to be deep in.”
With Schenn back, James Neal looks to be sitting out on Wednesday.
Ville Husso is likely to start in goal. Husso is 2-0-0 this season with a 0.50 goals-against average and a .984 save-percentage. He has given up just one goal on 61 shots this season.
The Blues are dressing the following lineup, per 101 ESPN…
#stlblues projected lineup vs. #LGRW:
Forwards
Barbashev – O’Reilly – Perron
Buchnevich – Thomas – Tarasenko
Saad – Schenn – Kyrou
Kostin – Bozak – Sundqvist
Defense
Scandella – Parayko
Krug – Faulk
Mikkola – Perunovich
Goalie
Husso
? Puck Drop at 6:30pm on 101 ESPN ? pic.twitter.com/ppGh2ts43X— 101 ESPN St. Louis (@101espn) November 24, 2021
And there is some good news from DetroitHockey.net’s Clark Rasmussen:
Stupid Stat of the Day: The Red Wings are unbeaten all-time in games played against the St. Louis Blues on the Wednesday before American Thanksgiving. pic.twitter.com/rQpvAcq658— DetroitHockey.Net (@detroithockey96) November 24, 2021
4-and-0…
