The St. Louis Blues are set to skate the same lineup against the Utah Mammoth on Nov. 12, and that means Dalibor Dvorsky gets another night in the mix after a shortened role in the previous game. The projected group comes with no changes in the forward lines, defense pairings or starting goalie.
Dvorsky played 6:36 in Tuesday's win over the Detroit Red Wings and did not return for the second half of the game, a sign that his standing is still being judged shift by shift. Jim Montgomery said he wants the young forward to play faster and with more conviction, and he made clear that not meeting the team's standard can cost a player ice time. At the same time, Montgomery backed him, saying the club believes in him, that he is a big part of the group and that it is only a matter of time before his play catches up.
The lineup projection was based on Wednesday's practice at Centene Community Ice Center, with Thursday's morning skate optional. That leaves the Blues leaning on what they already saw earlier in the week, not on a fresh morning review, as they prepare for the 8 p.m. start against Utah. The setup points to continuity at a moment when Dvorsky is trying to turn a brief benching into a longer stretch of trust.
That is the twist in this one: the Blues are not protecting him from the next test. They are keeping him in place and asking for a quicker, sharper response. If Dvorsky plays faster and with more conviction, he stays part of the picture. If not, Montgomery has already shown what happens when a player slips under the standard.
Nov. 12 now becomes more than another date on the schedule. It is the next checkpoint for Dvorsky, and the first real answer will come when the puck drops at 8 p.m.
