TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES The St. Louis Blues' struggles continued at PNC Arena on Tuesday, falling 4-1 to the high-powered Carolina Hurricanes.
Despite the loss, the Blues were able to keep pace with Carolina's shots on goal with 36 apiece. They also led in hits by a wide margin - 27-10 - over the 'Canes in their own building.
Torey Krug, battling a lower-body injury, exited the game early in the third period. With Scott Perunovich still on a conditioning assignment in Springfield, the Blues were glad to have Marco Scandella back on the blue line for the first time this season.
Returning to Enterprise Center, the Blues open a three-game homestand against the Vancouver Canucks. After winning three out of four at home last week, this could be another opportunity for the Blues to keep generating momentum at home.
"It's a commitment to play defense," said Justin Faulk on what needs to change to get back into the win column. "It's hard, it's not glamorous... You get a lot of chances offensively if you play well defensively."
The Blues host the Canucks with a record of 26-28-3, worth 55 points and sixth in the Central Division.
CANUCKS Since hosting the Blues in December, the Vancouver Canucks have struggled to find consistency and improve their season record. Since Dec. 29, the Canucks have gone 6-15-2, last place in the NHL over that span.
Getting an early jump on the typical mid-season trade window, the Canucks traded captain and 2023 All-Star Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders for two prospects and a future first-round draft pick. Horvat was in his ninth season in Vancouver, logging a team-high 420 points in 621 games.
The other major change Vancouver made was behind the bench, letting go of Bruce Boudreau after 103 games as head coach and hiring Rick Tocchet in late January.
The Canucks are coming off a dramatic shootout loss in Nashville on Tuesday, their first of a quick road trip concluding in St. Louis on Thursday. Vancouver's Conor Garland and Andrei Kuzmenko each scored in the final two minutes of regulation to tie the game and earn their team a point.
They'll visit the Blues with a record of 22-30-5, worth 49 points and sixth in the Pacific Division.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues won decisively in Vancouver on Dec. 19, coming out on top 5-1 behind Jordan Kyrou's first career hat trick. The season series finishes in St. Louis on March 28, where the Blues have won six of their last eight home battles with the Canucks.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Jordan Kyrou, who logged his first NHL hat trick earlier this season against Vancouver. Kyrou recorded seven points in the four-game homestand last week, leading the team with 28 points at Enterprise Center this year.
CANUCKS Quinn Hughes, who leads the Canucks with 49 assists this season. Hughes has five points In his last five games, including a pair of assists in Nashville on Tuesday night.
BLUE NOTES
Jordan Binnington's next start will be No. 203 of his career, which will move him into a tie with Greg Millen for fifth most in franchise history... The Blues have not allowed a power-play goal in six straight matchups with the Canucks, going 18-for-18 in that span... Scandella's season debut on Tuesday was game No. 700 in his NHL career, playing 15:43 TOI and blocking two shots... Justin Faulk's goal on Tuesday was the first of his career against the Hurricanes, spending eight seasons in Carolina before coming to St. Louis in 2019.
The retooling Vancouver Canucks are still adjusting to life without former teammates. So are the rebuilding St. Louis Blues.
Their transition will continue Thursday when the Blues host the Canucks.
The Canucks traded captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders earlier this season. Veteran defenseman Luke Schenn is expected to be the next to go, returning to Vancouver to await his trade ahead of the NHL's March 3 deadline.
With Schenn absent and defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Travis Dermott on injured reserve, the Canucks suffered multiple breakdowns in their own zone during their 5-4 shootout loss Tuesday in Nashville.
"(Schenn's) a big part of this room and big part of the team," Canucks forward J.T. Miller said. "Everything that's said about the guy is true: he's a good family man, he's a good teammate. It sucks to see this stuff happen, but at the same time, it's part of the business and we need to be able to put the game face on."
The Canucks are 2-5-1 since Feb. 6. New coach Rick Tocchet has been trying to implement new systems on the fly since replacing Bruce Boudreau earlier this season.
"We're building towards being a good team, playing a good system," Canucks defenseman Ethan Bear said. "(Tocchet) and our coaches are preaching the right things. I wouldn't understand it unless I'd played in Carolina (last season). Seeing the way they operate, we're going in that same direction and it's good to see. It gives you hope."
Earlier this month, the Blues traded winger Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola to the New York Rangers, and captain Ryan O'Reilly and forward Noel Acciari to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
They have lost their last three games by the combined score of 15-4. But coach Craig Berube thought his team showed a bit more life during its 4-1 loss at Carolina on Tuesday night.
"I thought we battled," Berube said. "I didn't mind the first period and the third period. The second period, I thought that (the Hurricanes) took the play to us a little bit too much."
Like the Canucks, the Blues have struggled at the defensive end.
"We've just got to focus on it," Blues defenseman Justin Faulk said. "They're mental errors and it's a commitment to play defense. It's hard. It's not glorious, or glamorous, I should say. Not a ton of reward for it, well there is, you just don't see it as much. You get a lot of chances offensively if you play well defensively. We just have to commit to it. There's nothing more to it than that."
The Blues got veteran Marco Scandella back this week as the defenseman made his season debut after hip surgery. Berube believes winger Pavel Buchnevich could return from his lower-body injury against the Canucks.
Vancouver goaltender Thatcher Demko is expected back in action soon after recovering from a lower-body injury. He has resumed practicing with the team.
St. Louis won the previous game between these teams, 5-1 on Dec. 19 in Vancouver. Jordan Kyrou scored three goals and added an assist, and goaltender Jordan Binnington made 33 saves.
