Vrana to return against Blackhawks

Allowing eight goals in a game will undoubtedly bring change for the St. Louis Blues when they face the Chicago Blackhawks.

Jakub Vrana will be back in the lineup when the Blues (10-8-1) head on a brief two-game trip beginning with a 1 p.m. clash Sunday with the Blackhawks (6-12-0).

Vrana has been a healthy scratch the past three games, but after Friday's 8-3 pasting at the hands of the Nashville Predators, Craig Berube is inserting the enigmatic forward back into the lineup; he was on a line with Brayden Schenn and Kasperi Kapanen.

"A little bit. Just mixing it up," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "Put Vrana back in. Just trying to mix and match a little bit."

Nikita Alexandrov, who played just 7:01 on Friday and took an interference minor that ultimately lead to a 5-on-3 for the Predators in the second period, one they scored on, will be a healthy scratch.

Vrana, acquired last season from the Detroit Red Wings, has just two goals and four assists in 15 games this season; he has been a healthy scratch the past two games and four times this season.

"The skating for sure. Scorers tend to a lot of times, they want to score, but they forget to put the work in sometimes," Berube said. "They want it to come easy. He's got to work. He's got the ability to really skate and use his speed, but he's got to use it without the puck. He's got to use it with the puck, but he's got to use it without the puck."