2022 Round One, Game 3 Preview

The St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild have each claimed a victory through the first two games of their best-of-seven series. The two teams are headed to St. Louis to play Games 3 and 4 before returning to Minnesota for Game 5. The series has become a test of depth for the Blues, with half of their regular defensemen questionable for Game 3.GOALSPP%PK%SOG/GSV%BLUES627.3%77.8%32.5.922WILD60/62832.5.908Blues and Wild Round One Series Statistics

2 Storylines: Blues

Defensive Depth Being Tested

After taking a puck to the side of his face, Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo is questionable for Game 3. If none of his ailing defensemen show signs of progress, head coach Craig Berube will have only half of his regular defensemen available for tonight’s game. In addition to Bortuzzo, the Blues are also without Marco Scandella (lower-body injury), and Nick Leddy (upper-body injury). As a result of Bortuzzo’s injury, the Blues recalled defenseman Steven Santini from their American Hockey Affiliate (AHL) under emergency conditions.

When asked (Thursday) about Santini’s availability for tonight’s game, Berube said: “There’s a chance. We’ve got to see how guys are. Day to day to rest and see how they feel tomorrow. Then we’ll go from there, but we need to make sure. We’ve got to get a guy in just to be ready.”

Santini’s style seems to fit Berube’s system, and he can fit in well in a limited role. In his comments on the defenseman, Berube continued to say: “He’s not going to wow you with the puck play or anything like that, but he’s going to make simple plays, and he’s going to play hard, and he’s going to battle at the net and do things like that. He’s going to try and make it difficult for the other team.”

Related: Blues’ Acquisition of Leddy is Band-Aid on Defensive Depth

The 27-year-old right-shot defenseman has played 66 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season, scoring two goals and 18 points.

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