Blues Face Senators With New Lineup and Defensive Focus in Ottawa

The St. Louis Blues visit the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday with Dylan Peterson expected to make his NHL debut after a recall from Springfield, while both teams adjust lineups because of injuries. The matchup features the Blues at 2-2-1 and the Senators at 5-1, according to NHL coverage.

According to NHL.com and The Hockey News, St. Louis enters the game after a strong start on the penalty kill, going 14-for-15 for a 93.3 percent success rate. The Blues have struggled on the power play, converting 1 of 11 chances for a 9.3 percent rate.

The Blues projected lineup includes Joel Hofer in goal, with Peterson moving into the lineup after Zach Dean was listed as a healthy scratch. Ottawa is expected to start Samuel Ersson, while injuries keep Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub out of the lineup.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery highlighted defensive improvements after the team worked with new assistant coach Greg Cronin. He also noted that offensive consistency and special teams remain areas requiring attention.

"I am incredibly happy with our D-zone coverage and our tracking, very happy with our D-corps and their aggressiveness, 200-foot hockey. Too inconsistent with our offensive habits of having someone at the net and having two on the inside. Our reloads have been inconsistent, which has led to less O-zone time as well and PK, very good; PP, not good enough. Goaltending has been good." said Jim Montgomery, Blues coach.

Montgomery credited the team's defensive structure and penalty kill work while discussing changes made under the coaching staff. The Blues have allowed 3.20 goals per game, a figure affected by a 6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, according to The Hockey News.

"I think our defensive sticks are vastly improved. We cause way more turnovers on forecheck, D-zone coverage, neutral zone. It has been an emphasis of the staff, but again, a lot of that PK credit goes to Greg Cronin.

He was brought here to improve our defensive habits and so far, he has done an excellent job in it, and I know it is a small sample size, but our players like the way we are penalty-killing. They like the aggressiveness of it." said Jim Montgomery, Blues coach.

The Blues also adjusted their power-play units ahead of the matchup, including different player combinations to create more scoring chances after limited production early in the season.

"It is good to give penalty kills different looks and obviously we were not generating much previously. Our last game on the power play, we only had one opportunity, but the chances were significantly better and the puck movement was better." said Jim Montgomery, Blues coach.

Forward Ross Johnston discussed his approach after a fight with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier in the Blues' previous game. Coach Montgomery said he did not expect the incident, while Johnston described his role in supporting teammates.

"The game happens so fast. So many things can lead to certain things. I am not necessarily a premeditated person.

I would be lying to you if I said I was not thinking about it. I think you are pretty aware of who every team has, so on, so forth. I do not talk it up, I do not brush it up.

You brush it off when it goes wrong and does not look good if you talk about it and it goes well, it still does not look good. I do not talk about it, things can happen in a game and it can come out of nowhere. Let things fall is what I am trying to say." said Ross Johnston, Blues forward.

Johnston praised Olivier's physical style after their exchange during the game. He said he respected the way the opponent played while keeping his focus on team contributions.

"(Olivier's) tough. He is as tough as they come. He plays the game the right way, plays the game honest and plays a lot. I have got a lot of respect for a guy like that." said Ross Johnston, Blues forward.

Montgomery said Johnston's energy and communication have become valuable parts of the team environment after the forward's return to the lineup.

"I do not know him well enough to know that yet, and it is great to see. I know I do not want that job." said Jim Montgomery, Blues coach.

Johnston has also taken on a more vocal role with teammates, using his experience from previous teams to help maintain communication during games.

"I do not know, you get comfortable the older you get maybe. The teams I have been on, you see how they had success and you see certain plays that have success. I think I have seen both sides of that.

I think being able to watch the game and seeing little plays, maybe give little IQs to help the team out, especially when it is not going well is maybe where it stems from. Just trying to be a little bit vocal and if it gets too quiet, talk to the boys, keep everything light. We have been in every game we have played so far except Colorado.

Just got to keep rolling the way we have been." said Ross Johnston, Blues forward.

The Senators enter the matchup after a 4-1 win against the New Jersey Devils, while Ottawa's injured players include Sanderson, Zub, William Eklund, Kurtis MacDermid, Cameron Crotty and Nikolas Matinpalo, according to NHL reports.