The Blues have been plagued by injuries through the first several weeks of the NHL season: Paul Stastny is recovering from a broken foot, Kevin Shattenkirk continues to be nagged by a groin injury, Jaden Schwartz is out three months with a fractured ankle and Patrik Berglund has yet to appear in a game after undergoing shoulder surgery in August.
But the Blues have overcome them as best as they can, and find themselves fighting for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, thanks in large part to the emergence of Vladimir Tarasenko as an elite player.
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Tarasenko, who missed Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury but returned Tuesday against Los Angeles, has six goals and four assists in his first 11 games and is proving to be worth every penny of his eight-year, $60-million deal he signed in the offseason.
The Blues are 2-0-1 following a loss so far this season, meaning the Blackhawks will surely have their hands full Wednesday night when they welcome their arch rivals into town despite it being the second of a back-to-back for St. Louis. You can catch the action at 7 p.m. on NBCSN.