Preview: Blues vs. Penguins

When: Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. CT
Where: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO
Watch: Bally Sports, Bally Sports app
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App
Tickets: Online at Ticketmaster.com

TEAM SNAPSHOTS

BLUES The St. Louis Blues took a tough defeat on Thursday night against Arizona, surrendering 42 shots on goal and three power-play goals en route to a 6-2 loss.

"I think we played pretty slow today," said Jakub Vrana after the game. "We didn't move out there really well, [and] it felt like they were faster than us in almost every situation."

Vrana was a bright spot for the Blues, scoring a goal of his own and assisting Sammy Blais on another. Vrana currently leads the Blues with three points in three games, continuing the positive momentum he generated after joining the Blues ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline.

With a quick turnaround before their next game - a home matchup on Saturday against the veteran-heavy Pittsburgh Penguins - the Blues have a good opportunity to get back to game speed.

After playing Pittsburgh, the Blues will embark on their first multi-game road trip of the season, visiting Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and Colorado before returning to Enterprise Center.

The Blues will host the Penguins with a record of 1-1-1 in the early weeks of the season.

PENGUINS One of the oldest teams in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins have come out of the gate with a mixed bag of results thus far.

After two decisive wins over Washington and Calgary, the Penguins fell 6-3 to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.

They once again return the veteran trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang - a group with a combined eight Stanley Cups and 55 seasons of NHL experience.

Their biggest change this offseason was on the blue line, acquiring 2022-23 Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. Karlsson has a goal and three assists with his new club so far, three of his four points coming in Wednesday's loss in Detroit.

After Saturday's matchup, the Penguins return to PPG Paints Arena for a four-game homestand against the Stars, Avalanche, Senators and Ducks.

Their 2-2-0 record thus far gives the Penguins four points and third place in the Metropolitan Division as of Friday afternoon.

HEAD TO HEAD The Blues went 0-1-1 against the Penguins last season, falling in overtime at Enterprise Center in their last matchup. Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko share the team lead with four points each against Pittsburgh over the last six games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BLUES Sammy Blais, who scored his first goal of the season on Thursday night vs. Arizona. Since coming back to the Blues ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, Blais has 22 points in 34 games.

PENGUINS Evgeni Malkin, leading the Penguins in scoring in the early days of his 18th season in Pittsburgh. The 37-year-old forward has three goals and four assists, his seven points sharing No. 3 in the NHL as of Friday afternoon.

BLUE NOTES

• The Blues have points in three straight games against Pittsburgh at Enterprise Center.
• General Manager Doug Armstrong is just two games away from reaching his 1,000th as Blues GM.
• Jordan Binnington is 1-0-1 with a 0.92 goals-against average and a .969 save-percentage. He has stopped 63 of the 65 shots he has faced through two games this season.
• Justin Faulk's next assist will be his 100th as a Blue. He is just four points shy of 400 for his NHL career.