St. Louis Blues Set to Face Toronto Maple Leafs with Thomas Back in Action
The St. Louis Blues are gearing up to conclude their three-game homestand with a faceoff against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Fans will be pleased to see the return of Robert Thomas, who missed the recent 2-1 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks due to an upper-body injury. Thomas is set to reclaim his spot as the top-line center, flanked by Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud.
Blues coach Jim Montgomery confirmed Thomas's return, saying, “Thomas is doing good. I think he’s a player tonight, so goes back to the old lineup.”
This shift sees Dalibor Dvorsky moving back to the third-line center, while Pius Suter returns to the fourth line, and Nathan Walker steps out of the lineup. Justin Holl, a former Maple Leaf, will also rejoin the lineup, replacing Matthew Kessel.
Kessel has faced challenges with limited consecutive starts, but Montgomery praised his efforts, acknowledging the difficulty of transitioning from practice to game speed. “As much as you try and simulate game speed in practice, it’s hard to obtain,” Montgomery noted.
The Blues have excelled in penalty killing since the Olympic break, leading the league with an 87.2 percent success rate. However, their power play has struggled, going just 2-for-26 in recent games. Montgomery emphasized the need for better puck movement and offensive zone presence, urging the team to drive the net more consistently to draw penalties.
Montgomery highlighted the team’s improved game management, particularly their patience and defensive discipline, which have contributed to a strong 9-1-2 record in their last 12 games. “Our goalies have been stellar, but our defensive attitude’s been stellar too,” he added.
Craig Berube, the Stanley Cup-winning coach, returns to St. Louis with the Maple Leafs, who have won two straight games. Berube expressed his fondness for returning to familiar grounds and emphasized the importance of maintaining strong defensive play and capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
Projected Lineups
Blues:
- Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
- Jake Neighbours-Pavel Buchnevich-Jordan Kyrou
- Otto Stenberg-Dalibor Dvorsky-Jonatan Berggren
- Alexey Toropchenko-Jack Finley-Pius Suter
Defense:
- Philip Broberg-Logan Mailloux
- Theo Lindstein-Colton Parayko
- Cam Fowler-Justin Holl
Goalie:
- Jordan Binnington starting; Joel Hofer as backup.
Maple Leafs:
- Easton Cowan-John Tavares-William Nylander
- Matthew Knies-Max Domi-Nicholas Robertson
- Dakota Joshua-Steven Lorentz-Matias Maccelli
- Michael Pezzetta-Jacob Quillan-Calle Jarnkrok
Defense:
- Morgan Rielly-Brandon Carlo
- Jake McCabe-Oliver Ekman-Larsson
- Simon Benoit-Troy Stecher
Goalie:
- Joseph Woll starting; Anthony Stolarz as backup.
Both teams are looking to build on their recent successes, promising an exciting matchup as the Blues and Maple Leafs hit the ice.