SCOTTRADE CENTER — First off, the personnel updates:

The Blues put Jeff Woywitka on waivers in the hopes of sending him down to Peoria to get some playing time. He’s been out with a broken foot and hasn’t gotten in a game this season.

The acquisition of forward David Koci — “He provides us depth in our organization,” Andy Murray said, though Koci will be a scratch tonight — meant the Blues had to open up a spot, which they did by putting Alex Pietrangelo on IR and backdating it to after the Toronto game, when he got hurt. That game was far enough in the past that he can be activated any time — he would be available tonight if he wasn’t still hurting — so he could — and sounds like he should — be back for this weekend.

With Pietrangelo on IR, the Blues have just six defensemen on the roster right now — remember the axiom, you can never have enough defensemen — but Murray said that Jonas Junland should also be available this weekend. So the number of defensemen on the roster could go up to eight in a few days. Because of his age, Pietrangelo can’t go to the minors, though Junland can be sent to Peoria without having to pass through waivers. Which means there will be more moves coming in the next few days.

By the way, while we were reporting that D.J. King would be out indefinitely with a dislocated shoulder, the Blues’ game notes say he “will miss the remainder of the season.”

Lee Stempniak and Patrik Berglund will be back in the lineup tonight. Stempniak hasn’t played since getting hurt in the opener. Berglund sat out the Chicago game with an injury. Murray said he would probably go back to the five-forward power play, though, in typical coach style, he was reluctant to say because Detroit writers were in the room. Murray was also reserved on the scratches — Dan Hinote, Yan Stastny, Chris Porter and Cam Janssen were all termed questionable. Koci, Stastny and Janssen were the last three off the ice, which usually answers that question.

St. Louis’ very own Ben Bishop will be on the bench for his first game tonight. His parents will be in the house, though he said that as hockey fans they’d probably be there anyway. “I feel great,” Bishop said. “I’m excited. I’m just taking it all in. I’ve learned quite a bit from watching, just seeing what Manny does to get ready, and from (coach Rick Wamsley). I’ll be all ears.”

Murray on the Blues’ success so far: “The kids have been OK. I think they get way too much credit. If you look at our scoring stats, it’s our veterans. There’s a euphoria about the young kids and they’ve got an upside, but check our scoring stats. Oshie’s got one assist. Berglund’s got a goal and two assists. Petrangelo’s only played three games. It’s our veterans.”

The World Series begins tonight, and Murray observed that the Tampa Bay Rays have gone from worst to first in baseball. The Blues weren’t the worst in the NHL last season, but they were pretty close and he’s shown his team that changes can happen quickly. “Tampa’s an example that it can happen. … You pick up every publication, we’re picked 30th. We’ve referenced the fact that there’s nothing better than to do something that people say you can’t do. So we might have referenced that.”

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock on the Blues (thanks to our friends in Detroit):