(4-1-25) Red Wings-Blues Gameday Lineup

ST.LOUIS JimmySnuggerud will make his NHL debut for the St.

Louis Blues (40-28-7)when put their nine-game winning streak on the line to open athree-game homestand against the Detroit Red Wings (34-33-6) at 7p.m.

(FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).Snuggerudsgoing to play tonight, his first NHL game, Blues coach JimMontgomery said.

Were excited to see how hes going to helpus.Dowhat you do best and what got you here, and enjoy the moment.

Itsa special moment and if youre a highly-competitive player, makesure you really compete hard.

If youre a goal scorer, dont passup shots.

If youre a defensive player and you finish checks,finish five checks tonight.

Do what you do best.The20-year-old and No.

23 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, who signed athree-year, entry-level contract on Friday after his junior season atthe University of Minnesota ended at the Fargo Regional on Thursday,skated with the Blues for the first time on Monday and skated on aline with Oskar Sundqvist and Zack Bolduc.Conversations,just getting to know him too, Blues captain Brayden Schenn saidregarding making Snuggerud feel comfortable.

Ive never reallymet him before.

Ive met him once in Minnesota earlier this yearand thats it.

Hear a lot about him, same agent and stuff [BenHankinson], I hear hes a great kid, a guy that obviously iswell-liked by his teammates.

Hes going to be quiet initially.Thats the reality of coming into pro sports being a young guy.

Youjust kind of talk to him and if he has any questions, youre thereto answer them.Snuggerud,who had 24 goals and 27 assists in 40 games with the Golden Gophersthis season, also will get time on the power play in the bumper.Snuggerudsaid hes played bumper, A little bit.

Ive played it growingup with the national team a little bit.

Ive been in some scenariosup there, but it really makes it easy playing bumper when yourewith four other really good players out there, so it was really fun.Asfor using him as a bumper to start and not for the one-time threat,Montgomery said, I dont know, its the first time hesprobably been in a bumper, to be honest, and beggars cant bechoosers with the way our power plays been.

But that being said,he did a really good job there.

He supported pucks well, you can tellhis brain (that) he understands time and space.

Hes a scorer and ashooter and those guys know how to get open.

Theyve been gettingopen their whole lives.

You could see his puck support and releaseare ideal for the bumper position.Hewill become the third Golden Gopher to play in the NHL and make hisdebut after college teammates Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel each madehis debut with the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.Ivetalked to Oliver Moore and Rinzy [Sunday] night after theirgame and just see how it went for them, Snuggerud said.

Obviouslythey both had a good game.

I thought Rinzy stood out a lot.Hes a strong player and hes had that skating ability andMooresy made strong plays throughout the whole game.Itsnice to know you have your teammates going through that too.

MatthewWood is signed with Nashville now.

Its awesome to see them doingwell and in their programs.Bolduc,who was in a similar position not too long ago as the No.

17 pick inthe 2021 NHL Draft, is looking forward to playing with Snuggerud.Forsure I can help him, Bolduc said.

Ive been though it not along time ago.

Its exciting.

[Tonights] going to be his firstNHL game.

Its a dream-come-true and just got to enjoy it.

Yourekind of blacked out on those days and try to enjoy it as much as youcan, just work on the ice.

Its all about trying to enjoy the firstone.Hesa good skater and hes smart.

If I put myself in his shoes,probably a little stressed, but its part of it.

Its part of theexperience of that first game, that excitement.

Hes a good playerand he can shoot it too.

Im looking forward to playing with him.Hesa good player.

Hes smart, hes working hard and he can shoot it....

Weve got a great line and just looking forward to it[tonight].-- -BluesProjectedLineup:JakeNeighbours-Robert Thomas-Pavel BuchnevichDylanHolloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan KyrouZackBolduc-Oskar Sundqvist-Jimmy Snuggerud AlexeyToropchenko-Radek Faksa-Nathan WalkerCamFowler-Nick LeddyPhilipBroberg-Justin FaulkRyanSuter-Tyler TuckerJordanBinnington will start in goal; JoelHofer will be the backup.

Healthyscratchesinclude MatthewKessel, Dalibor Dvorsky, Alexandre Texier andMathieu Joseph.

ColtonParayko (knee) is out.

Torey Krug (ankle) is out for the season.

-- -RedWings ProjectedLineup:AlexDeBrincat-Dylan Larkin-Patrick KaneMichaelRasmussen-Marco Kasper-Lucas RaymondJonatanBerggren-J.T.

Compher-Vladimir TarasenkoCraigSmith-Tyler Motte-Austin WatsonBenChiarot-Moritz SeiderSimonEdvinsson-Justin HollAlbertJohansson-Jeff PetryCamTalbot will start in goal; AlexLyon will be the backup.Healthyscratches include WilliamLagesson andDominikShine.

Andrew Copp (upper body), Elmer Soderblom (undisclosed), ErikGustafsson (undisclosed) andPetrMrazek (upper body) areout..

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