Projected Lineup: Dec. 23 at Los Angeles
by Chris Pinkert / St. Louis Blues
LOS ANGELES - Jordan Binnington will be back in the net on Monday night in Los Angeles (9 p.m., FSMW, 101 ESPN).
His last start was exactly a week ago - a 5-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche. It was his longest in-season break since taking over the starting role on January 7 in Philadelphia last season.
"He got the rest he needed, not that he wanted," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said after an optional morning skate on Monday at Staples Center. "Everybody wants to play, that's normal. But at the same time, we've got to manage the workload of a lot of guys… Things add up, bumps and bruises, things like that. He got good rest, he feels good."
"The boys are playing well, it's good to see. I'm just looking forward to getting back at it," Binnington said. "It's a lot of hockey we've played. You pick your spots in the schedule that work well (for a break). Jake (Allen) is playing great, the team is rolling, we're all playing well. Hopefully we just stick with that and keep building as the year goes on, keep adapting as the season goes on."
With the exception of Binnington between the pipes, the rest of the lineup is expected to stay the same as the Blues seek a sixth consecutive win.
PROJECTED LINEUP
Forwards
Sundqvist - O'Reilly - Perron
Schwartz - Schenn - Kyrou
Steen - Thomas - Bozak
MacEachern - de la Rose - Barbashev
Defense
Faulk - Pietrangelo
Bouwmeester - Parayko
Dunn - Bortuzzo
Goalie
Binnington