GDT 4: 10/10/19 | 6:30 PM CT | @ Senators | FSMW/101ESPN

[theohall]

The rebuilding Ottawa Senators will seek early progress when they host the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

The Senators are rebuilding around young defensemen Thomas Chabot and Erik Brannstrom, and forwards Brady Tkachuk (who has two goals in two games) and Colin White.

After losing their first two games, the Senators bolstered their supporting cast by acquiring forward Vladislav Namestnikov from the New York Rangers for defenseman Nick Ebert and a fourth-round pick in 2021.

Namestnikov joins Artem Anisimov, Tyler Ennis and Connor Brown in the veteran forward group for first-year coach D.J. Smith. That buys prospects such as Drake Batherson and Logan Brown more developmental time at the AHL farm team in Belleville, Ont.

"We have a plan, and we want to make sure we stick to the plan," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters Tuesday.

"The reason we made this trade -- and we personally thought it was going to happen before the season and the two losses haven't affected anything we've done here -- because our long-term vision is to make sure our younger players develop properly in Belleville.

"And, at the same time, we don't want them to lose confidence. We want to make sure when they're playing for the Ottawa Senators, they can give us their best hockey possible. That not only helps this team, but it shows our fans that we're doing it the right way."

The Blues are off to a 2-0-1 start, with victories over Dallas at home and at Toronto on the first leg of a four-game road trip. An early challenge for coach Craig Berube is integrating defenseman Justin Faulk, a preseason acquisition from the Carolina Hurricanes.

Most recently Faulk, a right-handed shot, paired with Vince Dunn, a left-handed shot.

"You got lefty-righty, both of them move the puck well," Berube told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "In the offensive zone, they create quite a bit with their shot and their elusiveness."

With Faulk and Dunn together, Alex Pietrangelo reunited with Carl Gunnarsson, and Colton Parayko stayed with his regular partner, Jay Bouwmeester. Berube has also used Faulk with Pietrangelo, a right-handed shooter who moves to the left side for that pairing.

"Last year, the 'D' pairings weren't always so stable, there was a lot of changes," Dunn said. "And looks like it's going to be that way this year maybe. I think we're always prepared for whoever we're gonna be playing with, and we just need to be able to adapt."

With forward Robert Thomas sidelined with an upper-body injury, Zach Sanford plugged into the third line with Tyler Bozak and Robby Fabbri. Thomas was back at practice Wednesday.

The Blues have been led this season by the line of Ryan O'Reilly (three assists) centering Sammy Blais (two goals, two assists) and David Perron (one goal, two assists).

Jordan Binnington started the first three games in goal for the Blues; this game could be a good opportunity for back-up Jake Allen. Allen was 11-8-6 on the road last season with 2.26 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage.

The Senators will give goaltender Anders Nilsson his first start of the season. He was 14-19-1 last season with a 2.97 GAA, playing 12 games with Vancouver before being traded to Ottawa.

[glen a richter]

I'm 2-1 in score predictions this year. This game is going to probably draw me back to even because if we're speaking realistically, this should be a blowout for the Blues and I can't decide exactly how many goals they'll put up.

Let's go with:

Blues 6 (Tarasenko 3, Schwartz, Blais, Perron)
Senators 1

This is a good one to get Allen a game in.

[StL Dan]

Blues 4
Sens 2 (Brady Tkachuk tucks both)

[theohall]

Looks like the Senators got the Blues schedule from last season where they barely play any games in the month of October. Sens are going to be super rested having only played 2 games and none since Saturday which was also a home game. This has the potential for the "play down to your opponent" type game which plagued the Blues for years until Berube took over. There are a couple of exceptions once Berube did take over (Arizona and LA come to mind), but hopefully he's eliminated that aspect of the pre-Berube Blues.

[Robb_K]

The Blues have had some good chances in The 2nd (Fabbri, O'Reilly, Parayko). If they keep this up, they'll score, and get back into the game.

[Robb_K]

Allen did all right on that 2-on 0, and 3 on 1, making 3 fabulous saves, including snagging one out of the air off a rebound.

Blues better score on this power play! And they DOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Perron!!!! Blues within 1!!!!

[Robb_K]

Set play right off the face off, Sundqvist blasts one by Nilsson!!! Blues tie it at 2!!!

[Robb_K]

Bouwmeester shoots one into the crowd in front of the goal. Looked like O'Reilly redirected it slightly, but they gave the goal to Bouwmeester. Blues tie it up at 3!!!

[glen a richter]

I can say with 100% certainty that the string of 3-2 finals is over.

[Robb_K]

Nice drive by Barbashev draws a penalty! The BLUES better score on this one, instead of giving one up!

[Robb_K]

Schenn intercepts the loose puck, and shoots it right by Nilsson on the short side!!!! Blues lead 4-3!!!!

[glen a richter]

Jake Allen, folks.

[Robb_K]

Perron shoots it by Nilsson!!!! His 2nd of the night!!!! Blues lead 5-4!!!! Do they give Blues' fans Tacos in Ottawa???

[Robb_K]

O'reilly scores the empty-netter!!! Blues lead by 2 with seconds left!!!

[Robb_K]

Blues win!!! Blues win!!!

[glen a richter]

Well I got the Blues total right, at least.

I didn’t watch the game because I was at work so I could be way off here, but Allen is making things tough. Put up a stinker against Ottawa? What about against better opponents? Who’s going to trade for him and would Seattle pick someone else off the Blues roster? He has to do better than that especially against a crap opponent.

[Robb_K]

A sloppy, lackadasical game against possibly the worst team in The NHL. But, The Blues won it, anyway, and that is what good teams do. No energy wasted. 2 points. I'll take it.

I wasn't, however, happy to see Fabbri look like a shadow of his pre-injury self.

[theohall]

Well I got the Blues total right, at least.

I didn’t watch the game because I was at work so I could be way off here, but Allen is making things tough. Put up a stinker against Ottawa? What about against better opponents? Who’s going to trade for him and would Seattle pick someone else off the Blues roster? He has to do better than that especially against a crap opponent.

Allen got screwed on the first goal by a bad bounce and screwed on the second goal off a horrible pass by Bouwmeester. The SHG - breakaway - Binnington probably stops.

Anyway - this game started as the typical Blues playing down to their opponent for most of the 1st period and gradually shifted to the Blues being the better team.

One thing I hated about the SHG - Faulk has to know he is the last line of defense and instead of playing the man at center ice, which he easily could have done, and let one of the retreating forwards pick up the puck, he reaches with his stick; winds up flat-footed; and makes zero contact with the Senators player rushing away to pot the SHG. Horrible play, especially awareness related, by Faulk, because no way were any of the retreating forwards going to catch up to the guy pushing the puck past Faulk. Reminded me of the boneheaded plays Petro repeatedly made when manning the right side point on the PP.

[glen a richter]

I wasn't, however, happy to see Fabbri look like a shadow of his pre-injury self.

Not too long until Fabbri (and/or Sanford) are pulling press box duty. Kostin is doing well thus far, in addition to his strong preseason he's off to a pretty good start in San Antonio, got 2 assists so far tonight, 3 total on the season. Maybe we'll be seeing him sooner than later.