(1-18-21) Sharks-Blues Gameday Lineup

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Not since March 9 has there been an actual meaningful game at Enterprise Center, but that all changes here tonight.

The Blues (1-1-0) open their home slate of the 2020-21 season against the San Jose Sharks (1-1-0) today (7 p.m.; FS-MW, ESPN 101.1-FM), the first time the Blues have hosted another opponent here since the hockey landscape -- and the world for that matter -- was altered because of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

There will be a limited number of spectators in the stands for the game, up to 300 family, friends and first responders in attendance, with the first four home games not taking on any spectators.

It will be a different look than when the Blues last played here against the Florida Panthers on March 9, but nonetheless, a meaningful hockey game will finally be played here.

"It's been a while," defenseman Vince Dunn said. "I think we're all excited. Obviously the circumstances are a little different than the last time we were playing in here, but it's always nice to be home."

Cardboard cutouts will be in place behind the net where the Blues shoot twice to give it more of a feel of fans in the stands.

"Obviously it's way different this year," forward Tyler Bozak said. "Playing in the bubble I think prepared us a little bit to know what it's like and how you've got to approach it. That little extra boost you get from the fans, (now) you've got to be ready right from the start. You've got to create your own energy and get yourself ready personally. The team's got to make the right plays early to get everyone engaged."

Another interesting twist will be when the three stars are announced, particularly for the home side, will the players come out and take a twirl for virtually an empty arena?

"I guess you've got to do a little twirl if you get the top three," Dunn said.

"I don't know," Bozak said with a smile. "I don't really see much point of it I guess. If my kids are at the game, if it's not too late, then maybe."

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What's the best cure for a woeful result the previous game? A win obviously, but the Blues will be searching for a much better result than the 8-0 drubbing sustained at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. 

"A good start, really getting to our game right away," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "I think that we've got to put as much pressure as we can on them on the forecheck and playing in the offensive zone. We've got to be aggressive there, we've got to execute with the puck and get it in and go to work.

"Nobody likes to get beat like we got beat in Colorado. It doesn't sit well with you and guys will go out and I think they'll be ready to go."

"Obviously last game, we didn't even end the game well," Dunn said. "There's nothing to continue from the last game, so we're just looking for the start of this one. Obviously we want to have a good start, especially in our own building, and try to control the pace of the game from the start of the game.

"That one definitely stung and that isn't how we want to play games."

The Sharks, who split their two games against the Arizona Coyotes, are aware that the Blues will likely be in an ornery mood.

"I expect them to come out hard," Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro said of the Blues. "They're going to try and push the pace right away. They didn't have the greatest result last game, so we know what they can do, we know they're a very solid team. They're a big team and a good forechecking team. That being said, we can expect them to come out hard and we've just got to have a better pushback."

The Sharks have been projected as one of the rebuilding teams in the West Division but the Blues can't take them for granted.

"They look fast to me and they're playing fast to me," Berube said. "In the offensive zone, they fire a lot of pucks at the net, they go to the net hard. They've got good players. (Brent) Burns and (Erik) Karlsson from the back end can make plays and they can get up the ice. (Logan) Couture and (Tomas) Hertl in the middle of the ice, pretty good centermen down the middle. It'll be a tough test. They're looking good in my opinion. They're attacking from everywhere on the ice."

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The Blues, 0-for-6 on the power play to start the season, not only changed their top three lines up for Sunday, but also flipped around a couple pieces of the power-play that was third in the league last season (24.3) percent.

That means Ryan O'Reilly, Jaden Schwartz, Brayden Schenn and David Perron make up the top unit with Torey Krug, and Dunn, Bozak, Mike Hoffman, Robert Thomas and Zach Sanford account for the second unit. 

"There's familiarity with that group that was together last year," Berube said. "Those five guys, so I put them back together. Hoffman's playing with Thomas. They seem like they're finding each other and they look pretty good on the PP right now, so hopefully it clicks."

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Defenseman Colton Parayko left the ice a few minutes early from practice on Sunday and was not on the ice for the morning skate. But Berube squashed any potential alarming absence.

"Yeah, maintenence (day), he'll be fine," Berube said.
Parayko took part in most of practice on Sunday but left the ice with head athletic trainer Ray Barile.

Niko Mikkola, called up from the taxi squad on Sunday when Robert Bortuzzo (upper body) was placed on injured reserve on Sunday, skated with Krug in Parayko's spot at the morning skate.

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The Blues made an early afternoon transaction and called up defenseman Jake Walman and assigned forward Mackenzie MacEachern to the taxi squad.

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The Blues' projected lineup:

Zach Sanford-Ryan O'Reilly-David Perron

Jaden Schwartz-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou 

Mike Hoffman-Robert Thomas-Tyler Bozak 

Kyle Clifford-Ivan Barbashev-Oskar Sundqvist

Torey Krug-Colton Parayko

Marco Scandella-Justin Faulk

Vince Dunn-Carl Gunnarsson

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Ville Husso will be the backup.

Jake Walman and Niko Mikkola will be healthy scratches. Sammy Blais will serve the second of a two-game suspension. Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder) and Robert Bortuzzo (upper body) are out. 

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The Sharks' projected lineup:

Timo Meier-Logan Couture-Kevin Labanc

John Leonard-Tomas Hertl-Evander Kane

Ryan Donato-Noah Gregor-Matt Nieto

Patrick Marleau-Fredrik Handemark-Marcus Sorensen

Marc-Edouard Vlasic-Erik Karlsson

Mario Ferraro-Brent Burns

Nikolai Knyzhov-Radim Simek

Devan Dubnyk will start in goal; Martin Jones will be the backup. 

Dylan Gambrell and Stefan Noesen are healthy scratches.