
All the updates you need ahead of the Blues Game 4 fight.
The St. Louis Blues are continuing their trek towards the Stanley Cup with Monday night’s Game 4 against the Colorado Avalanche. It’s been an up-and-down series for the Blues, who fell emphatically to the Avs in Game 3, after losing Jordan Binnington to injury.
Controversy around Binnington’s injury aside — I mean, did he really throw that water bottle? — the Blues are in an undeniably worse spot than they were after their triumphant Game 2 win. But being the underdog has never fazed the Blues and Betway offers the perfect platform for fans looking to bet on the underdog Blues come Monday night’s game.
What to Know Ahead of Game 4
Jordan Binnington left Game 3 after only one period of play, following a collision with Avalanche center Nazem Kadri. New reports claim Binnington will miss the remainder of Round Two, leaving the Blues with Ville Husso as the go-to and AHL starter Charlie Lindgren manning the bench.
That’s… not great news. Husso couldn’t hold onto his hot hand as the playoffs rolled around, recording a meager .891 save percentage in his four playoff games so far, including Game 3, where he came in for the final two periods. That save percentage has come through 106 saves on 119 shots, or a 3.38 goals-against-average: again nothing to be particularly proud of.
But Husso has filled in for Binnington before and even stole the starting job during the regular season. In his first full year of NHL play, Husso tallied a dazzling .919 save percentage and was one of the top goalies in the league by many advanced stat metrics.
That’s reason for optimism! And the Blues aren’t the only ones dealing with injury news. It’s been announced that star Colorado defenseman — one of the many — Samuel Girard will miss the remainder of the postseason with a broken sternum, following a heavy Ivan Barbashev hit in Game 3 that removed Girard from the game.
That shifts the Avalanche lineup quite noticeably, as Girard was a fixture of both special teams and was averaging 18 minutes a night in this year’s playoffs. Afternoon reports claim that highly-touted rookie Bowen Byram will fill in for Girard on the power-play. Byram has only recorded one point in Colorado’s seven playoff games so far, two less than Girard.
Byram may not be the only Avs rookie taking a step up in the lineup either. Alex Newhook practiced with the team’s second power-play unit at the team’s morning skate, something that was particularly noteworthy because Newhook has yet to appear in any of the team’s playoff games this season. But his power-play reps could be a good sign that he’ll make his debut into the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 4.
Who are the Blues Icing?
Based on morning skate, the Blues lines are expected to be…
Pavel Buchnevich – Ryan O’Reilly – David Perron
Ivan Barbashev – Brayden Schenn – Vladimir Tarasenko
Brandon Saad – Robert Thomas – Jordan Kyrou
Alexei Toropchenko – Tyler Bozak
Nick Leddy – Colton Parayko
Calle Rosen – Justin Faulk
Niko Mikkola – Robert Bortuzzo
Scotty Perunovich
Ville Husso
Charlie Lindgren
It’s also worth noting that Nathan Walker, Logan Brown, Marco Scandella, and Torey Krug all skated as extras at the team’s practice but aren’t expected to play. This will continue the Blues’ pattern of rolling 11 forwards and 7 defensemen, giving them the chance to utilize Perunovich on the power-play while maintaining Mikkola’s grit at even-strength.
Looking Forward to Game Time
The Blues have an uphill battle ahead of them on Monday but it’s nothing they can’t overcome. Betway provides a great source for fans trying to bank on a hopeful Blues win but the game should provide plenty of excitement for all fans. It will be hosted by TNT and 101.1 ESPN, with puck drop coming at 8:30 PM CST!