BLUES The St. Louis Blues are likely to get captain Ryan O'Reilly back in the lineup for Sunday's matchup with the Anaheim Ducks.
O'Reilly was sidelined for four games while on the COVID-19 protocol list, but he flew to Anaheim and practiced with the team on Saturday.
In the captain's absence, the Blues went 2-1-1 and collected five of a possible eight points.
"Just watching was different. I didn't like it," O'Reilly said. "It was tough not being able to do anything, but it is what it is, these things happen. I'm excited to get back with the boys now. It's going to be fun, the boys are playing well, they had some good wins there. I'm excited to join them."
While O'Reilly could return, the Blues will be down two more players due to COVID protocols. Defensemen Torey Krug and Niko Mikkola were added to the protocols on Friday, joining goalie Ville Husso and forward Kyle Clifford.
If more players get added to the list, the Blues will likely have to play games with less than a full roster.
"We are out of salary cap space," General Manager Doug Armstrong said Friday. "We're very close to having to play short because of these COVID situations. If we sustain any injuries, we're gonna have to play short per the guidelines the way they are set now."
DUCKS The Anaheim Ducks will wrap up a four-game homestand when they host the Blues at Honda Center.
The Ducks have won their last three games and have collected points in five straight.
On Tuesday night, Anaheim beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-1 thanks to Adam Henrique netting a goal and an assist and goalie Anthony Stolarz making 28 saves in place of John Gibson, who missed the game due to illness.
The Ducks, who averaged the fewest goals in the NHL last season, have scored three or more in 10 of its 12 games this season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues went 5-1-2 against the Ducks last season and 4-0-0 at Honda Center… O'Reilly and David Perron each had seven points against the Ducks last season… Jordan Binnington has met the Ducks nine times in his career, allowing two or fewer goals in six of the nine starts (5-2-2, 2.11 goals-against average, .913 save-percentage).
