3 Keys: Avalanche at Blues, Game 4 of Western Second Round

(1C) Avalanche at (3C) Blues
Colorado leads best-of-7 series 2-1
9:30 p.m. ET; TNT, CBC, SN, TVAS

Ville Husso will start in goal for the St. Louis Blues against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of the Western Conference Second Round at Enterprise Center on Monday.
Husso will replace Jordan Binnington, who sustained a lower-body injury in the first period of a 5-2 loss in Game 3 on Saturday and is out for the remainder of the series. Husso made 19 saves on 23 shots in Game 3, his first since being replaced by Binnington for Game 4 of the first round against the Minnesota Wild. He is 1-3 with a 3.38 goals-against average, .891 save percentage and one shutout in four playoff games.
"I don't have to say a lot to him," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "He's done a great job this year of developing himself throughout this season with goaltending coach] David Alexander and he's become a better goalie over the season."
***[RELATED: [Complete Avalanche vs. Blues series coverage]*
Teams that take a 3-1 lead in a best-of-7 series are 296-31 (.905), but 0-1 in the first round this year.
Here are 3 keys for Game 4:

1. Vindication for Ville

Husso had taken the No. 1 job from Binnington during the regular season, when he was 25-7-6 with a 2.56 GAA, .919 save percentage and two shutouts in 40 games, so his talent is undeniable.
The 27-year-old needs to reestablish his confidence in a critical point in the series.
"I think his confidence is high," Berube said. "In-game, I think we're doing a good job checking right now, protecting the middle of the ice. We've got to continue to do that and make sure we're hard at our net, giving our goalies a chance to see pucks and not allowing second and third opportunities around the net."
Charlie Lindgren was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions Sunday and will back up Husso. He was 5-0-0 with a 1.22 GAA and .958 save percentage in five games during the regular season.

2. Jack Johnson could debut

Defenseman Jack Johnson was paired with Josh Manson during the morning skate and could make his debut in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Avalanche in the absence of injured defenseman Samuel Girard.
"[Our extra defensemen] have been skating extra to try and make sure they're ready to go if and when the time comes," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "We're already three or four weeks into this thing now and some of the guys haven't played in a game, but they've got to stay ready."
Girard is out for the remainder of the playoffs because of a broken sternum sustained at 1:42 of the first period in Game 3 when he was checked behind his net by Blues forward Ivan Barbashev.
Girard, a left-hand shot, had been paired with Manson and also played on Colorado's second power-play unit. Johnson, also a left-hand shot, has 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 30 career NHL playoff games. He last played a postseason game in 2019-20 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

3. Tarasenko time

Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko has one assist, eight shots on goal and is minus-2 in three games against the Avalanche.
He scored six points (five goals, one assist) in six games against the Wild during the Western Conference First Round.
"I thought [Game 3] was his best game of the series," Berube said of Tarasenko, who had a game-high six shots on goal. "He had a number of real good looks in the game, skated well, was physical. He played a power forward-type game. He's got to continue to do that, and when he's getting his looks they'll go in eventually."

Avalanche projected lineup

Valeri Nichushkin -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen
Gabriel Landeskog -- Nazem Kadri -- Artturi Lehkonen
Andre Burakovsky -- J.T. Compher -- Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Logan O'Connor -- Darren Helm -- Andrew Cogliano
Devon Toews -- Cale Makar
Jack Johnson -- Josh Manson
Bowen Byram -- Erik Johnson
Darcy Kuemper
Pavel Francouz
Scratched:Alex Newhook, Ryan Murray, Nico Sturm, Kurtis MacDermid, Hunter Miska
Injured:Samuel Girard (sternum)

Blues projected lineup

Pavel Buchnevich -- Ryan O'Reilly -- David Perron
Ivan Barbashev -- Brayden Schenn -- Vladimir Tarasenko
Brandon Saad -- Robert Thomas -- Jordan Kyrou
Alexey Toropchenko -- Tyler Bozak
Nick Leddy -- Colton Parayko
Calle Rosen -- Justin Faulk
Niko Mikkola -- Robert Bortuzzo
Scott Perunovich
Ville Husso
Charlie Lindgren
Scratched:Logan Brown, Nathan Walker
Injured: Jordan Binnington (lower body), Torey Krug (lower body), Marco Scandella (lower body)

Status report

Newhook, who has been scratched for the Avalanche's first seven playoff games, could replace Burakovsky or Aube-Kubel after the forward worked on the power play during the morning skate. ... Krug skated for the first time with his teammates Monday after the defenseman skated on his own Sunday. He has missed the past six games ... The Blues are expected to play 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the seventh straight game. They are 12-6-2 between the regular season and playoffs when using such a lineup.