The St. Louis Blues are expected to have Robert Thomas in the lineup on Saturday for Game 1 of their first-round series with the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network, TNT, truTV, Max, 101 ESPN).
Thomas left the regular-season finale vs. Utah with a lower-body injury, but Blues Head Coach Jim Montgomery called his leaving the game a “precautionary” measure. Thomas was skating in his usual spot on the first line in Friday’s team practice at Centene Community Ice Center, and Montgomery confirmed Thomas should be good to go.
“He looks fine out there, to me, in practice,” Montgomery said. “I talked to him at the end (of practice) and he said ‘all good.’”
That development is welcome news for the Blues, who will need their No. 1 center healthy for a challenging matchup in the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets.
Thomas finished the regular season on a 12-game point streak (four goals, 21 assists) and on an 11-game assist streak — both were the longest active streaks in the NHL.
Montgomery didn't say whether Dylan Holloway would travel to Winnipeg for Games 1 and 2. Holloway is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Jordan Binnington is likely to start in goal Saturday. Binnington arrived on the scene in January 2019 and won all 16 playoff games that year to help the Blues capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. That run started in Winnipeg, where the underdog Blues eventually defeated the Jets in six games in the opening round.
“Mentally, he has incredibly positive thoughts,” Montgomery said of Binnington. “He sees himself doing great things in big moments. It’s a mindset. Thank God he’s our goaltender.”
The Blues did not hold a morning skate Saturday in Winnipeg, so the projected lineup below is based on practice lines used on Friday and is subject to change. If any adjustments are available when Montgomery meets with the media this afternoon or from pregame warm-ups, they will be updated here.
