St. Louis Blues: Sanford Makes Season Debut Against Canadiens

St. Louis Blues forward Zach Sanford will make his season debut on Wednesday, taking the place of rookie Robert Thomas in the lineup.

The St. Louis Blues will have a new-look lineup on Wednesday against Montreal. A couple players will be returning from injuries including Jaden Schwartz and Zach Sanford.

By inserting Schwartz and Sanford back into the lineup, the Blues will feature new line combinations to try and spark the offense.

Sanford will take the place of Thomas on the fourth line and will play with Ivan Barbashev and Sammy Blais while Schwartz will be inserted back into the second line with David Perron and Brayden Schenn.

Montreal Canadiens (3rd Place In Atlantic)

Record: 3-1-1

Last 10: 3-1-1

Point Leaders: Tomas Tatar (7), Paul Byron (5)

All-world goalie Carey Price will be back in goal for Montreal after missing the past three games with the flu. The Blues problems this year have not necessarily been on the offensive side of the puck, but this is unfortunate timing for the Blues.

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This trip through Central and Eastern Canada is a crucial one for the Blues and could be a key factor for the Blues start to the season.

We will finally get to see Zach Sanford back on the ice as a Blue. Sanford was acquired via trade from Washington for Kevin Shattenkirk and has had an injury-plagued start to his career as a Blue.

The shocking thing about the lineup for the Blues is the absence of Robert Thomas. He has played well at times for the Blues but at 19 years old, he is the odd-man out for St. Louis.

Jake Allen will get the start in goal after getting the game off against the Anaheim Ducks. Allen has been the scape-goat for many Blues fans this year but has played well this season. In his previous start, Allen recorded 46 saves in a shootout loss to the Blackhawks.

Jordan Kyrou is expected to be placed on the first line alongside Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly. This is a huge opportunity for the young player and he could thrive while playing with better talent.

Kyrou this season only has one point under his belt but has used his speed and ability to create space for his teammates and has played very well so far this year.

This is an important three-game road trip for the St. Louis Blues. The Central Division is one of the toughest in the NHL and the Blues are already in last place. With games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, it is important that the Blues secure two points against the Canadiens.