Preview: Blues vs. Senators

When: Thursday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. CT
Where: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO
Watch: Bally Sports, Bally Sports App
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App
Tickets: Online at Ticketmaster.com

TEAM SNAPSHOTS

BLUES After falling 6-4 to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night, the St. Louis Blues made a big change behind the bench. Head Coach Craig Berube was relieved of his coaching duties and General Manager Doug Armstrong named Drew Bannister interim head coach. Bannister has spent the last three seasons as head coach of the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds, including a run to the Calder Cup Final in 2021-22.

"What we want to stress as we're going through whatever we're going through is a level of compete and a level of accountability," said Armstrong at a press conference Wednesday morning. "Starting with Drew (Bannister) tomorrow night, that's his mandate: accountability and compete."

Tuesday's back-and-forth game showed a continuation of the Blues' major growth areas this season - their defense and power-play efforts. After going 0-for-3 against Detroit, the Blues are 0-for their last 16 power play opportunities and rank 31st on the season at 8.4%. On the other side of special teams, however, the Blues were able to score their NHL-leading eighth shorthanded goal of the season.

Bannister is expected to arrive in St. Louis on Wednesday and make his NHL head coaching debut on Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators. The Blues are hoping that a new voice behind the bench can help them bounce back from a season-long four-game losing streak.

Thursday marks the second of three straight home games, continuing on Saturday against Dallas before a two-game trip to Florida.

The Blues host Vladimir Tarasenko and the Senators with a 13-14-1 record, worth 27 points and sixth in the Central Division.

SENATORS The Ottawa Senators are still looking to establish identity and winning habits, struggling on the season but are winners of three out of their last four games.

After goals from five different Senators - including two on the power play - drove home an eventful 5-1 win over Detroit last week, Ottawa fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in their last game on Tuesday. Josh Norris opened the scoring for the Senators with his seventh goal of the year, but Carolina scored four unanswered through two periods to win 4-1 in Ottawa.

Tim Stutzle hopes to build off his breakout last season, scoring 90 points in 78 games, as he leads the Senators with 26 points in the early going this year. Following his contributions are veteran Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson and two names familiar to Blues fans - Brady Tkachuk and Vladimir Tarasenko. Tarasenko signed a one-year contract with Ottawa after his trade to the Rangers last season, and Tkachuk leads the Seantors with 13 goals.

Ottawa's trip to St. Louis marks the beginning of a five-game road trip, their first of two such trips over the next month. The Senators continue on to Dallas, Vegas, Arizona and Colorado as they journey around the Central Division.

The Senators visit Enterprise Center with a record of 11-12-0, worth 22 points and eighth in the Atlantic Division.

HEAD TO HEAD The Blues went 1-1-0 against Ottawa last season, with each team recording a win at home. They are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games against the Senators and 3-1-0 in their last four matchups at Enterprise Center.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BLUES Kevin Hayes, who scored a pair of goals 31 seconds apart in Tuesday's loss to Detroit. The two quick tallies marked the fourth fastest two goals by the same player in the NHL this season, the second of which marked point No. 400 in his NHL career.

SENATORS Vladimir Tarasenko, playing his second game back in St. Louis since his trade from the Blues last February. Tarasenko, who joined the Senators on a one-year deal this offseason, has six goals and 13 assists for 19 points with his new club.

BLUE NOTES

• Interim Head Coach Drew Bannister has spent the last three seasons as Head Coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds, leading them to a 93-58-19 regular-season record and leading them to the Calder Cup Finals in 2021-22. Bannister previously served as Head Coach of the Soo Greyhounds (OHL) from 2015-16 to 2017-18, as well as the Head Coach of the San Antonio Rampage (AHL) from 2018-19 to 2019-20
• Tuesday's loss was the first time all season the Blues fell after scoring the first goal of the game, now 12-1-0 in such games. Their 12 wins when scoring first shares fifth in the NHL
• The Blues are 5-2-0 against the Eastern Conference this season, including a 3-1-0 record against Ottawa's Atlantic Division
• The Blues have scored 3.50 goals per game at home this season, which shares 10th in the NHL
• Vladimir Tarasenko spent 11 seasons in St. Louis, where he played 644 games and posted 262 goals, 291 points and 553 total points. Tarasenko, traded to the New York Rangers ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, ranks fifth on the franchise all-time leaderboard in goals and points