Backes assisted on both St. Louis goals and went minus-1 in Tuesday's loss to the Predators. He won 10 of 15 faceoffs and picked up the primary assists on tallies by Chris Butler and T.J. Oshie, but was also on the ice for all three Nashville goals. Backes' stats continue to lag, as he has just 18 points and a minus-6 rating in 36 games, but the return of Brian Elliott to the Blues' net should help the whole team undergo a plus-minus correction. The missing offense is a bigger question mark, as the Blues' top-line center simply hasn't been able to find his stride all year long.