GDT #65 Blues @ Blue Jackets | 6:00 pm CT | BSMW, 101 ESPN

[theohall]

The retooling St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to get a head start on the 2023-24 season during the final quarter of this season.

Their experimentation will continue Saturday when the Blues face the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

The Blues have won just two of their last 10 games and the Blue Jackets have just two victories in their last eight games.

Extensive moves ahead of the NHL trade deadline left the Blues with a second forward line of newcomers Kasperi Kapanen and Jakub Vrana flanking Pavel Buchnevich, a veteran winger getting a look at center.

"I think I'm an offensive player, so I can create more offense," Vrana said after scoring a goal in his second game with the Blues, a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. "I want to shoot the puck. If you shoot it on the net, somebody can stand there, bang it in or whatever, but you have to read it sometimes. You can't shoot everything. You have to make plays sometimes."

Vrana, who came from the Detroit Red Wings for a future seventh-round pick and prospect Dylan McLaughlin, is trying to make the most of his fresh start.

Blues coach Craig Berube gave him a clear mandate.

"For me, it's about using his speed all the time," Berube said. "He has to skate and become a worker and let his skill take over. That's the thing I'm going to try to drive into him is work, work, work and skate and work. Let your skill take over and then just about puck battles, win your puck battles, little things like that. That's all going to make you a better player.

"All players skilled like that anywhere in the league, they're good in open ice. They're good when they're not pressured, but you've got to be able to perform with the pressure on, and I mean somebody on you checking you."

The Blue Jackets had to press goaltender Michael Hutchinson into duty Tuesday after Elvis Merzlikins became ill during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Columbus sent goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to the Los Angeles Kings in a trade that brought back Jonathan Quick, then it moved Quick to the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade that brought Hutchinson while continuing to add draft picks and prospects.

The Penguins came back on Hutchison, erasing a 4-0 deficit to win 5-4 in overtime. But Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen appreciated how his team kept battling into the extra time.

"Proud of our guys," Larsen said. "It got to 4-4 and it could've gotten way out of hand. We pushed right back. We were right there. ... There is no negative in that game for me at all. I'm disappointed for the group. It's not a negative."

Larsen has been giving rookie Kirill Marchenko a bigger role down the stretch, playing him on a scoring line with Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. Marchenko hasn't scored a goal in five games, but his overall play has pleased his coach.

"He's going to the hard areas," Larsen said. "He's strong on pucks. He's strong in his battles. He's winning 50-50s. He's playing with more pace."

The Blues won the first game between these teams 5-2 back on Oct. 15, before they underwent roster upheaval. Since-departed winger Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice for the Blues in that game and Merzlikins allowed five goals.

[glen a richter]

LGBJ!

I think Columbus can pull this one off. Looking ahead to the rest of the schedule I think there's a good chance the Blues settle in right about where they are right now which leaves them about, I believe, a 7.5% chance of winning the lottery. Gotta lose the games that they shouldn't lose.

[theohall]

The Blues won the Connor Bedard Spin the Wheel on NHL Radio yesterday afternoon.

[theohall]

While I'm not happy with the Blues being up 3-1 in the first... I have to point out how the Blues 3rd goal happened... It started with Blais finishing a check even though the puck had already left the defenseman's stick. Blais was flat out going to hit his man behind the net and the fact he was going to hit him and finished the check, led to a horrible turnover by the Blue Jackets as a result of Blais forcing the play. IMO, this is what has been missing from the Blues game all season. Not enough finishes on checks and too many swoops thinking they can recover the puck wherever and defend wherever (which has been proven doesn't work), and Blais just proved why Berube is right. It's not about skill in many situations, it's more about effort - especially when the skill darn near evens out most night.

Yes, there are times when skill wins out, but in the NHL the other team is almost always at least as skilled as you are which generally means whichever team puts for the most effort into forcing the play will usually get the better of the chances and usually win the game. Why doesn't Edmonton win more? All of the forwards think they can play like McDavid when no one, except maybe Draisaitl, has the skill to play that way. Were McDavid to actually forecheck, which he almost never needs to do, it would set an example for the rest of the team. The issue - he's so damn skilled he doesn't need to forecheck so can't set an example as the captain.

[theohall]

Blues 4th goal... doesn't happen without Toropchenko going to the net, drawing the defense to him, and making a play on the puck... so what if the shot didn't go in... Toropchenko going there freed up the space for Thomas and Kyrou - 2 players you would never see where Toropchenko went - other than on a power play. That might be a good line going into next season with they way Toropchenko is a) forechecking and b) straight up occupying slot space to force the defense to pay attention to him, instead of the more skilled players.

[theohall]

While Kyrou getting a hat trick was nice, it's a shame Greiss didn't let another 4 past him. The next 4 should be losses... to get back solidly in on the Bedard Sweepstakes. Hopefully, the next six... just pretend Perron is a teammate and set him up for back to back hatties.

[theohall]

Absolutely horrible Bedard Sweepstakes night.

Detroit
Philly
Arizona
Chicago
Montreal
Columbus (Thanks Jordan Kyrou)
&
San Jose

All lost while the Blues won... this isn't how to win the Bedard Sweepstakes.

However, when the Blues "won" the weekly Bedard Wheel Spin, Dave Poulin was very clear to point out how well the Blues have done with late 1st round draft picks specifically bringing up Bolduc and Snuggerud who he expects to be top 6 forwards within the next 3 seasons... So Bolduc by age 23 and Snuggerud whenever... depending when he leaves the NCAA.