WASHINGTON — For the first time in more than a month, Blues forward Nikita Alexandrov will be in the ºüÀêÊÓƵ lineup when the Blues face the Capitals on Thursday night.
Alexandrov has not played in the NHL since Dec. 8 in Columbus, as he was a healthy scratch for 10 games before missing six more while on a conditioning loan to AHL affiliate Springfield. Alexandrov played seven games for the Thunderbirds, posting two goals and five assists.
“It’s hard to not play for a long time,†Alexandrov said. “They have me the opportunity to play lots of minutes down there and I think I kind of got my game back a little bit. I feel a little bit more confident in myself.â€
Alexandrov will center the fourth line with Nathan Walker and Alexey Toropchenko on his wings.
In addition to Alexandrov insertion to the Blues lineup, Adam Gaudette will play his first NHL game of the season after scoring 24 goals in the AHL to lead the league. Gaudette will play with Brandon Saad and Oskar Sundqvist.
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Alexandrov, 23, is in his first full season in the NHL, kept on the roster, in part, because he would require waivers to be sent to the AHL. In his 38-game NHL career, he has three goals and four assists.
Alexandrov said he felt his “intensity and work ethic†come back quickly with game action in the AHL.
“I caught a few games (when he played in Springfield), and certainly, we get reports,†Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. “I think, again, Niki didn’t have the opportunity when I first came to get him in the lineup. Now that he’s gone down and played five or six games, hopefully, he’s built his confidence up. But he’s more in game shape now than when I first came. We want to try and give these guys the opportunities to have success, get him right in the lineup and see what he can bring.â€
With Alexandrov and Gaudette in the lineup, Sammy Blais will sit as a healthy scratch.
Jordan Binnington will start in goal.
The Blues and Capitals will play an unusual home-and-home series across the next three days, playing in Washington on Thursday and in ºüÀêÊÓƵ on Saturday. When the Blues and Capitals play at Enterprise Center, it will end a stretch of seven straight games for ºüÀêÊÓƵ against Eastern Conference opponents.
“I think they’ve a very similar team to what we saw against Philly,†Bannister said. “They’re going to work hard, they can play heavy. They play a north game. For us, it’s got to start with work ethic and compete here tonight and getting to a forecheck, which we haven’t done enough. Our forecheck has got to drive our game here tonight.â€
Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin (lower-body) is a game-time decision, while Beck Malenstyn (personal) and Joel Edmundson (unspecified injury) are questionable, Washington coach Spencer Carbery told reporters on Thursday morning.
Former Blues goalie Charlie Lidngren is expected to start in goal.
Projected Blues lineup at Washington on Thursday, 6 p.m.
Pavel Buchnevich – Robert Thomas – Jake Neighbours
Brayden Schenn – Kevin Hayes – Jordan Kyrou
Brandon Saad – Oskar Sundqvist – Adam Gaudette
Nathan Walker – Nikita Alexandrov – Alexey Toropchenko
Nick Leddy – Colton Parayko
Torey Krug – Matthew Kessel
Scott Perunovich – Justin Faulk
Jordan Binnington
Joel Hofer
Scratches: Sammy Blais, Marco Scandella, Tyler Tucker (conditioning loan).
Injured reserve: Kasperi Kapanen (lower-body).
Projected Capitals lineup vs. ºüÀêÊÓƵ
Max Pacioretty – Dylan Strome – T.J. Oshie
Hendrix Lapierre – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas – Connor McMichael – Anthony Mantha
Beck Malenstyn – Nic Dowd – Nic Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary – John Carlson
Joel Edmundson – Ethan Bear
Alexander Alexeyev – Nick Jensen
Charlie Lindgren
Darcy Kuemper
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Post-Dispatch Blues beat report Matthew DeFranks joined columnist Jeff Gordon to discuss the arrival of Adam Gaudette and the lineup shuffling ahead of the games against Washington.