After Thursday night’s absolute clunker of a game - a 7-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils - something had to give. The lines have been tweaked, a defenseman that hasn’t played since the dawn of time is in, and the Blues’ backup has yet another chance to solidify himself as the 1A in a contract year.
Pavel Buchnevich is back with Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko, reuniting a very successful trio and spreading the scoring around. Thomas, between Kyrou and Tarasenko, had a rough go of it on Thursday (a collective -8). By moving Kyrou onto a line with Brayden Schenn, and Ryan O’Reilly, it gives the Blues two very well balanced scoring lines up front.