DALLAS • There's a lot at stake on Friday night for Blues forward Ivan Barbashev and he knows it.
Barbashev has been a scratch the past three games and five of the past six. He hasn't been on the ice since he failed to clear a puck from his own end against Calgary, which led to the game-winning goal.
Tonight, he's back in the lineup, playing alongside Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko as the Blues face the Stars at 7:30 p.m.
“It's a big step for me, playing in the first line with Vlady and Schenner,” Barbashev said Friday. “It's just a huge chance for me to stay here and just be in the lineup.
“I feel comfortable today. I have confidence it's going to be fine today and it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm just real excited about it.”
Barbashev centered Tarasenko late last season and in the first four games of the playoffs, until Paul Stastny came back from an injury. This season, Barbashev made the team out of camp but never found his footing and after three weeks was sent to Chicago. He was recalled when Jaden Schwartz got hurt and he's the latest to get a chance to try to fill that spot.
What's at stake is that Sammy Blais, who's on injured reserve, skated today with the team in practice and is close to coming back. Tage Thompson has put a firm grasp on a forward spot, and when Blais is ready to return, the Blues will likely have to choose between him and Barbashev for a roster spot.
“Tonight is going to be a big step for me,” he said. “I'll say it again, it's going to be fun.
“I just have to play hard. I know they play with Schwartzie before, Schwartzie's a hard working guy, he's always on the forecheck, he just plays hard. I just have to do the same thing, play physical and hard, to be the difference out there. Especially with those guys, it's a huge step for me.”
“I want to see him go out and play with confidence, make plays,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “I don't want him going out with the attitude he can't make a mistake and it's going to bury him. But what I feel has been lacking compared to what we saw from him last year was just a passion in his game and sort of an attitude that he's going to make a difference shift after shift. I think that last year when he was successful that showed up in his competitiveness, that showed up in his ability to win loose pucks and jump on pucks and make things happen and I'm hoping he plays with that kind of excitement tonight.”
NOT QUITE YET ON BOUWMEESTER
Injured defenseman Jay Bouwmeester will miss at least one more game with a lower-body injury that has now kept him out of nine games. He took part in the morning skate on Friday and skated hard. Though it hasn't been said, it seems possible he could play on Saturday against Carolina.
“I think he's pushing it harder and harder every day,” Yeo said after practice. “I'l have a chance to talk to him. I talked to him yesterday and we're happy with the way yesterday went and today was another good opportunity for him to get out there.”
Also back on the ice with the team was Blais, who hasn't played since Dec. 16.
“It was good to get him back out there too,” Yeo said.
BISHOP IN GOAL FOR DALLAS
St. Louisan Ben Bishop, who was drafted by the Blues before making his way across the NHL, will be in goal for the Stars tonight. He didn't play in either of the first two meetings between the teams this season.
“Now it's gotten more normal,” Bishop said. “It's home for me. I went home for Christmas, my whole family is there, extended family, so that's more of a hometown for me. I grew up playing hockey there, I obviously know a lot of the alumni, played with some of their kids, I know a lot of players and staff being drafted by them, it's always been my hometown.
“They've been a good team for a long time now, so it's fun. Any time you play against some of the best teams – obviously a great goalie in Jake (Allen) – it's fun. You've got to get those competitive juices going if you want to be a great team. It's a good test for us and I enjoy playing against the best teams.”
Bishop and Allen were teammates in the Blues farm system, playing in Peoria.
“It's always fun,” Allen said. “I've played against a few times, so that's a little bit over. He's a great goalie and that's a big pickup for this team. … I knew he was a really good goalie when I first stepped in there. He's earned everything he's gotten. He's almost had a Stanley Cup in his back pocket, he almost made this team and I think it was the best thing he went down to the minors and proved everybody wrong and ended up being one of the best goalies in the league for a long time. It was a huge pickup for Dallas and he's got a lot of good years ahead of him.”
LINES
The Blues had an optional skate on Friday but most everyone took part. Paul Stastny, Alexander Steen, Scottie Upshall and Alex Pietrangelo were the only players not on the ice.
Based on Thursday's practice, the lines should look like this:
Forwards
Alexander Steen-Paul Stastny-Tage Thompson
Ivan Barbashev-Brayden Schenn-Vladimir Tarasenko
Vladimir Sobotka-Patrik Berglund-Dmitrij Jaskin
Scottie Upshall-Kyle Brodziak-Chris Thorburn
Defensemen
Joel Edmundson-Alex Pietrangelo
Carl Gunnarsson-Colton Parayko
Vince Dunn-Robert Bortuzzo
Goalie
Jake Allen
Extras: Paajarvi, Sundqvist, Schmaltz