After the initial lines for the Anaheim Ducks against the Minnesota Wild struggled to generate any sort of consistent play or offensive pressure, Bruce Boudreau did some line juggling in game.
The new combinations paid off, as the Ducks came back from a third period deficit to defeat the Wild 2-1.
In practice the next day, the players skated in those revamped formations. It is expected that Rickard Rakell will draw back into the lineup in place of Chris Wagner, who made his NHL debut on Friday against Minnesota. Corey Perry will look to keep his torrid start to the season going, scoring five goals and seven points in five games while registering a point in all five games this season.
According to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register, here are the expected lineups for the Ducks and Blues.
Anaheim Ducks Forward Lines
Devante Smith-Pelly – Ryan Getzlaf – Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano – Ryan Kesler – Jakob Silfverberg
Matt Beleskey – William Karlsson – Rickard Rakell
Emerson Etem – Nate Thompson – Tim Jackman
On defense, the Ducks appear to be going with the same three pairs as they have for the entirety of this young season. Look for Hampus Lindholm to have a bounce-back game after struggling against Minnesota, committing four giveaways. Cam Fowler is entering this game with a three-game point streak (three assists).
Anaheim Ducks Defense Pairings:
Cam Fowler – Ben Lovejoy
Francois Beauchemin – Hampus Lindholm
Clayton Stoner – Sami Vatanen
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As for the Blues, they did not receive good news last night after Paul Stastny exited the game against the Arizona Coyotes and had his left arm in a sling. Stastny has already been ruled out by Blues coach Ken Hitchcock for tonight. With the injury, expect Magnus Paajarvi to draw into the lineup for the Blues tonight. Jaden Schwartz is coming off a spectacular performance, netting a hat trick for the Blues in a 6-1 victory over the Coyotes last night. Vladimir Tarasenko also had a stellar night, tallying three assists.
St. Louis Blues Forward Lines:
Alex Steen – David Backes – T.J. Oshie
Jaden Schwartz – Jori Lehtera – Vladimir Tarasenko
Magnus Paajarvi – Patrik Berglund – Joakim Lindstrom
Steve Ott – Maxim Lapierre – Ryan Reaves
On the blue-line, offseason acquisition Carl Gunnarsson has yet to play for his new club this season. Though he is closer to returning, he has still not been added to the active roster. The Blues called up defenseman Petteri Lindbohm on Saturday, and it’s expected that he will draw in the lineup and make his NHL debut for Jordan Leopold.
St. Louis Blues Defense Pairings:
Ian Cole – Alex Pietrangelo
Jay Bouwmeester – Kevin Shattenkirk
Barret Jackman – Petteri Lindbohm
In net, Frederik Andersen (4-0-0, 1.71 GAA, .937 SV%) will get the nod, playing very well in each of his four previous starts this year. The Blues will go with Brian Elliott (1-1-1, 1.30 GAA, .940 SV%) after Jake Allen played against the Coyotes last night. Elliott is coming off a 1-0 shootout loss to the Los Angeles Kings, where he stopped all 18 shots he faced in regulation before allowing one goal in the shootout period.
Jason Byun is one of the editors for Pucks of a Feather. He can be found on Twitter. For more Anaheim Ducks coverage, follow Pucks of a Feather on Twitter or like us on Facebook.