The St. Louis Blues (21-28-9) will host the New Jersey Devils (28-29-2) at the Enterprise Center. This game is significant as it sees the return of key players from the Winter Olympics, notably Blues goalie Jordan Binnington and Devils forward Jack Hughes, who faced off in the Canada vs. USA gold medal game.
Team Updates:
• St. Louis Blues: Robert Thomas remains out on leave. Colton Parayko is sidelined with back spasms, leading to Justin Faulk moving to the top pairing and Matthew Kessel entering the lineup as the sixth defenseman.
• New Jersey Devils: Nico Hischier will lead the Devils.
Projected Lineups:
• Blues Forwards: Jake Neighbours - Pavel Buchnevich - Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn - Dalibor Dvorsky - Jimmy Snuggerud, Dylan Holloway - Pius Suter - Jonatan Berggren, Alexey Toropchenko - Jack Finley - Nathan Walker
• Blues Defense: Philip Broberg - Justin Faulk, Cam Fowler - Logan Mailloux, Tyler Tucker - Matthew Kessel
• Blues Goalie: Jordan Binnington
Betting Odds: The Devils are favored with a -1.5 puck line and -112 moneyline odds, while the Blues have +1.5 puck line and -108 moneyline odds. The over/under is set at 5.5 goals.
The Blues need a strong performance from Binnington and their forward lines to counter the Devils' offense. The defensive changes due to Parayko's injury will also be crucial to monitor.