Tonight's Blues Lines Feature Jaskin On Fourth Line

Hitch has mixed up the defensive pairings to allow for Kevin Shattenkirk's easing back into the line-up, which explains Shattenkirk on the third pairing, but doesn't explain the splitting up of Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo. I hope Joel Edmundson's ready for some icetime.

From the Post-Dispatch, here are tonight's lines:

Alexander Steen-Jori Lehtera-Vladimir Tarasenko

Robby Fabbri-David Backes-Scottie Upshall

Magnus Paajarvi-Scott Gomez-Troy Brouwer

Dmitrij Jaskin-Kyle Brodziak-Ryan Reaves

Defensemen

Joel Edmundson-Alex Pietrangelo

Jay Bouwmeester-Colton Parayko

Carl Gunnarson-Kevin Shattenkirk

Of note is Dmitrij Jaskin's role on the fourth line. It's obviously not to generate offense. Perhaps it's a sign that he's doing well enough to not be in the pressbox, but not well enough to not play up a line. Jaskin has been kept off the scoresheet save for two assists so far. He hasn't been playing well. This probably isn't an opportunity to fix his slump.

Paajarvi seems to have gotten himself back into favor for the time being, while newcomer Martin Havlat will be in the pressbox tonight.