Blues head coach Jim Montgomery has made significant changes to his top line ahead of Monday’s matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team will break up the top trio of Jake Neighbours, Robert Thomas, and Pavel Buchnevich in an effort to inject new energy into their offense.
The decision comes after a 4-2 loss to Utah Hockey Club on Saturday, which snapped a potential three-game winning streak. Montgomery wants to achieve a “workman-like attitude” on every line, encouraging players to step up and take individual responsibility.
In practice sessions in Vegas over the weekend, Thomas and Neighbours skated with Brandon Saad, who is expected to return from two games as a healthy scratch. Meanwhile, Buchnevich joined Alexey Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist on the right wing.
The Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou line remains intact for Monday’s game, while Montgomery has also made defensive changes. Cam Fowler and Colton Parayko will pair up once again, but the bottom two defense pairs have undergone shifts. The projected lineup includes Ryan Suter and Philip Broberg on one pairing, and Tyler Tucker and Justin Faulk on the other.
The Blues are set to face off against the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Monday night (5 p.m. CT).
Source: https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-jan-20-at-vegas