Blues at Canucks preview

Parayko, who is second among Blues defensemen in average ice time per game (22:49), missed the previous seven games because of an upper-body injury.

Jake Allen will start for St. Louis, which has lost two straight (0-1-1) after winning its previous four. 

Thatcher Demko will make his second straight start, and fourth in the past 20 games, for Vancouver, which has won eight straight at home and leads the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights by one point for first place in the Pacific Division.

Players to watch 

Blues forward David Perron has nine points (five goals, four assists) in his past seven games.

Canucks forward Bo Horvat has 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in his past 10 games.

They said it

"I've kind of been fortunate I haven't had to miss a lot of games in a row (in my career) and it's obviously different, especially for the first time going into my fifth year, when it happens and it's nice just to get back in the routine of things." -- Blues defenseman Colton Parayko, who missed six games his first four NHL seasons  

"It is possible for us to stay up top (of the Pacific Division), but it's just more incentive for us to be up there, to keep winning hockey games to stay up there, so I think we all have that mentality." -- Canucks captain Bo Horvat

Blues projected lineup

Jaden Schwartz -- Brayden Schenn -- Jordan Kyrou

Zach Sanford -- Ryan O'Reilly -- David Perron

Alexander Steen -- Robert Thomas -- Tyler Bozak

Oskar Sundqvist -- Jacob de la Rose -- Ivan Barbashev

Alex Pietrangelo -- Justin Faulk

Jay Bouwmeester -- Colton Parayko

Vince Dunn -- Robert Bortuzzo

Jake Allen

Jordan Binnington

Scratched: Carl Gunnarsson

Injured: Mackenzie MacEachern (lower body), Sammy Blais (wrist), Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder)

Canucks projected lineup 

J.T. Miller -- Elias Pettersson -- Jake Virtanen

Tanner Pearson -- Bo Horvat -- Loui Eriksson

Antoine Roussel -- Adam Gaudette -- Brock Boeser

Tyler Motte -- Jay Beagle -- Brandon Sutter

Quinn Hughes -- Christopher Tanev 

Alexander Edler -- Troy Stecher

Oscar Fantenberg -- Tyler Myers

Thatcher Demko

Jacob Markstrom

Scratched: Jordie Benn, Tim Schaller

Injured: Josh Leivo (kneecap), Micheal Ferland (upper body), Tyler Graovac (lower body)

Status report

Blues forward Troy Brouwer was assigned to San Antonio of the American Hockey League on Monday after clearing waivers, but general manager Doug Armstrong said he would give Brouwer the week "to consider his options." Defenseman Niko Mikkola was reassigned to San Antonio on Jan. 18.

Stat pack

Steen has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past seven games. … Thomas has six points (one goal, five assists) in his past five games. … Miller and Pearson each has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past five games. … Vancouver has won four of its past five games and is second in the NHL with 43 power-play goals, matching their total from all of last season. … Roussel will play his 500th NHL game.