Following a lopsided and disappointing loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, Blues Head Coach Drew Bannister is making a bunch of changes to the lineup for Thursday’s matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers (6 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network, 101 ESPN).
"We have to make a change," Bannister said following Wednesday's practice in Philadelphia. "Just the thought process there is we felt like we had to move some players around, get a reaction from our players. We can’t go back with the same old, so that was just the thought process. We kind of moved some guys around, got some workers and some shooters on the lines."
Every forward line combination is expected to be different on Thursday as the Blues look to wrap up a four-game road trip with a win, which would give them a .500 road trip.
Lineup changes include Pavel Buchnevich now centering a top line of Alexandre Texier and Jake Neighbours, while Dylan Holloway moves up to the second-line center position between Brandon Saad and Jordan Kyrou. Holloway is tied with Jake Neighbours for the team lead with four goals through 10 games.
Other changes include Brayden Schenn moving to the wing on a new-look third line with Radek Faksa and Zack Bolduc, while Nathan Walker draws back into the lineup for the first time Oct. 19 in place of Kasperi Kapanen, who left Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury and is considered day to day.
Scott Perunovich returns to the third defense pair with Matthew Kessel, replacing P.O Joseph.
"Early on, it's going to be important for us to come out and settle ourselves into the game right away," Bannister said. "We've forced our game, I think. We have to value our work more than our skill early on in the game, and I think the skill will take over as the game goes on. But work. It's got to be work in the first period."
