Blackhawks at Blues probable lines: Mikkola makes his debut

After Saturday night’s loss, it was expected that some adjustments be made before tonight’s game against the Blackhawks. Jake Neighbours takes a seat in the box, but Craig Berube makes it clear that it’s an opportunity to learn, not anything punitive.

“A lot of times with a young guy, the game is really speeding up now, it’s good to watch a game and get a reset button a little bit. That’s all it is for Jake,” Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said. “It’s been a tough couple games the way the games have gone. I’ve shortened the bench early in games and he hasn’t gotten the opportunity.”

The other change comes on defense. It’s taken a while, but Niko Mikkola will get his first game in tonight, while Robert Bortuzzo will be joining Neighbours in the press box. It’s telling, and really not a bad idea, that Berube had Bortuzzo serve Jordan Binnington’s 10 minute misconduct for swinging his stick at Nazem Kadri on Saturday.

Jordan Kyrou will be starting back on the first line tonight with Brayden Schenn and David Perron. Klim Kostin, who started in that position on Thursday, will be back on the fourth line with Dakota Joshua and Kyle Clifford.

Here’re tonight’s lines, from stlblues.com:

Forwards

Kyrou - Schenn - Perron

Barbashev - Thomas - Tarasenko

Neal - Bozak - Buchnevich

Kostin - Joshua - Clifford

Defense

Scandella - Parayko

Krug - Faulk

Walman - Mikkola

Goalie

Binnington