The St. Louis Blues are looking to buck their recent trend of first-round playoff eliminations, and the addition of David Backes to the lineup should help.
The Blues captain said Tuesday he feels ready to go for Game 1 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
"I feel good in practice and should be just fine for a hard-fought series for a team that we've got our work cut out for us," Backes told reporters. "We've got a heck of a group here and it's our time to make a real dent in this tournament."
Backes missed the final two games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, but expects to go full tilt on Wednesday night.
"This was my mindset from the get-go, that Game 1 I'd be full bore," he said. "You get the adrenaline running, you can play through a lot of stuff. Even with little to no adrenaline in practice today, I'm feeling well."
The series gets underway Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.
