Blues Add Kaskimaki and Stenberg Against Jets on October 20

The St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets entered their October 20 matchup at Enterprise Center in St. Louis seeking to end two-game losing streaks, with both teams looking to improve their early-season records. The Blues planned to introduce forwards Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Otto Stenberg to their 2026-27 lineups, while Winnipeg relied on Stuart Skinner in goal and Mark Scheifele's continued offensive production.

According to NHL.com, Kaskimaki and Stenberg practiced alongside center Pius Suter on Monday and during Tuesday's morning skate. Kaskimaki was recalled from Springfield on Saturday night, while Stenberg joined the NHL roster Sunday after the Blues placed Ross Johnston on injured reserve. Both forwards were projected to make their season debuts.

Kaskimaki appeared in five games for St. Louis last season, while Stenberg played 32. Head coach Jim Montgomery wanted both young forwards to play assertively rather than avoid risks offensively.

"I'd like to see them be more aggressive, not play safe," said Jim Montgomery, head coach of the Blues.

Montgomery also emphasized the players' ability to recognize opportunities and make decisions independently.

"Trust their instincts. They're very smart hockey players." said Jim Montgomery, head coach of the Blues.

St. Louis was also expected to return to a conventional lineup featuring 12 forwards and six defensemen after using 11 forwards and seven defensemen in its previous game. Joel Hofer was projected to start in goal.

The Blues entered the contest with a 3-4-1 record after losing 5-2 to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Jimmy Snuggerud and Philip Broberg scored for St. Louis, while Jordan Binnington stopped 19 shots. The defeat marked the team's second consecutive loss and opened a five-game home stand.

"Our execution level just needs to be better because we were in that game and the puck wasn't going in. It turned on us quick," said Jimmy Snuggerud, who scored on the power play against Nashville.

According to CBS Sports, Mason McTavish led St. Louis with five goals and nine points through eight games and carried a six-game point streak into the matchup. Pius Suter, Connor McMichael and Dylan Holloway had six points apiece, while captain Robert Thomas had recorded points in three of his previous four games.

Winnipeg arrived with a 4-2-2 record and a need to respond after consecutive defeats against Chicago and Carolina. The Jets lost 3-2 to the Hurricanes on Saturday when former Winnipeg forward Nikolaj Ehlers scored the go-ahead goal on the power play with 6:43 remaining in the third period.

Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo scored for Winnipeg in that game, while goaltender Clay Stevenson made 34 saves. Scheifele's goal was the 374th of his career, leaving him five short of Dale Hawerchuk's franchise record of 379 goals for the original Winnipeg Jets, which later became the Phoenix Coyotes.

"When we do things the right way, we had them on their heels and we just have to find the way to get those 60-minute games in there," said Scott Arniel, head coach of the Jets.

Scheifele entered the St. Louis game on a five-game point streak, having accumulated two goals and six assists during that stretch. According to CBS Sports, Kyle Connor had eight goals and 11 points, while Cole Perfetti had five goals and eight points through Winnipeg's first eight games.

Winnipeg was expected to retain its established forward combinations, with Connor, Scheifele and Perfetti forming the top line. Alex Iafallo, rookie Viggo Björck and Gabriel Vilardi were projected for the second line, while Nino Niederreiter, captain Adam Lowry and Isak Rosén made up the third. Cole Koepke, Morgan Barron and Brad Lambert completed the forward group.

On defense, Dylan Samberg and Neal Pionk were projected to form the top pairing, with Mario Ferraro alongside Dylan DeMelo. Haydn Fleury and Tyrel Bauer rounded out the defensive group. Josh Morrissey remained sidelined with an upper-body injury, while Brayden Yager, recalled from the Manitoba Moose on Monday, was expected to be a healthy scratch.

Skinner was projected to start for Winnipeg with a 3-0-2 record, a 2.76 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage through five appearances. Hofer entered the game with a 2-2-1 record, a 2.43 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in five appearances, according to the lineup information published by Sportsnet's Yahoo coverage.

The matchup opened a two-game road trip for Winnipeg, which was scheduled to visit the Dallas Stars on Thursday. Both teams entered the contest seeking a turnaround, with injuries affecting Winnipeg's defensive lineup and St. Louis preparing to give two recently recalled forwards their first appearances of the season.