The Blues were breathing a sigh of relief this afternoon when goaltender Manny Legace’s pads were located and delivered to the Air Canada Centre for tonight’s game against the Maple Leafs. Legace’s gear was temporarily lost while in transit from Atlanta to Toronto.

After playing in Sunday’s All-Star game, Legace was supposed to be on a flight Monday afternoon and scheduled to land in time for the Blues’ practice at 3 p.m. But the flight was delayed and Legace didn’t get into Toronto until late Monday evening. His gear did not arrive with him, and so he was unable to participate in the morning skate today.

The Blues had a local guy suit up and play goal for the morning practice, along with Hannu Toivonen, and for a short time this morning, it looked like Toivonen might start tonight. But Legace’s pads were later found and the word is that he will be in net for the Blues.

The rest of the Blues’ lineup for tonight is not set. The Toronto Maple Leafs are leaning toward using seven defensemen tonight and there was some scuttlebutt that the Blues might do the same. That would determine who’s in the lineup, but as of this afternoon, it appeared that Matt Walker was the odd-guy out on defense. The Blues would also have to sit a forward if they played seven D.

This is a big game for the Blues for a couple of reasons: If they have serious playoff aspirations, they need to come out strong after the All-Star break. Secondly, the Maple Leafs are not a good team right now. They are 20-23-8 and in last place in the Northeast Division.

One key for the Blues will be continuing to get better on the power play. The team has a power-play goal in six of its last nine games.

“I think it’s shown signs of turning around,” Blues coach Andy Murray said. “We can’t be adding that extra power-play goal and then give up two shorthanded goals. We’ve got to get that balance back.”

Why has the power improved lately?

“I think it’s Andy McDonald being back in there and healthy,” Murray said. “Even when Andy came back (from a pulled chest muscle), we had more movement than before. We didn’t score, but we had good chances. I think it’s also using Eric Brewer. He’s getting across the middle a little quicker (than Erik Johnson).

“Because Brew is a left-handed shot, it’s forced Paul (Kariya) to come up a little bit more. When it was (Johnson’s) right-handed shot, Paul could just hang down there. He wasn’t coming up high enough to get away from that opposing defenseman. Now Paul has to come up and he’s able to attack or get it down to Andy.

“I think we were too stationary with Erik. Erik just kind of got frozen in there and didn’t move. He’d get the puck back to Paul and they knew it was coming to Paul, and they were just hammering on him. Now Brew gets it with the left-handed shot and he’s getting it across to Brad Boyes more efficiently than what Erik was.”

Johnson is on the Blues’ second power play.

“On the other power play we’re trying to get Erik in the middle on the other side,” Murray said. “Steve Wagner’s got a one-time shot or he can give it back to David Perron. I think it’s maybe helped both guys. Maybe the expectations for Erik (Johnson) to be a first power-play guy right out of the shoot . . . it’s tough.”

Wagner will see time on the second power play tonight.

Jarmo Kekalainen, the Blues’ assistant GM and director of amateur scouting, was at the team’s morning skate. He shows up at games when he’s able, and I always like to catch up with him to ask about the prospects in the organization.

A few weeks ago, Al MacInnis gave us his assessment of the Blues players at the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic.

Kekalainen’s take on Patrik Berglund . . .

“I might be biased, but I thought Berglund was the best player of the tournament. He was for sure the best forward in the tournament. Considering it’s the world stage, that’s pretty good. He played great.

“Patrik Berglund last year the World Juniors was a bamby, and this year he was the man. One year can make a huge difference in careers and development of these young kids. They’re so immature and all of the sudden they become men, and it’s a different game for them.”

Could Berglund be in a Blues’ uniform next season?

“I think we’re going to see how he comes next fall, how he gets prepared,” Kekalainen said. “He’s certainly got the talent level of an NHLer right now, but that’s just one part of the whole equation. He’s going to have to come in top shape, he’s going to have to get stronger, and he’s going to have to be confident. He has to come here to earn a spot; nobody’s going to give it to him. It all remains to be seen. He’s got the God-given tools to do it, now it’s up to him.”

On Lars Eller at the WJC . . .

“Eller was on a very weak team, but played very good in the games I saw. He’s playing in the (Swedish) Elite League now and he’s done well. I think he’s progressing really well.”

Kekalainen noted that Berlund and defenseman Jonas Junland will play for the Swedish national team against Slovakia next week and he expects Eller will play for Denmark’s men’s national team at the World Championships this spring.

Kekalainen on Cade Fairchild and Ian Cole . . .

“The U.S. boys, Cade Fairchild was the most played defensemen in all situations. Ian Cole, I think was getting some experience and didn’t play that much. He was in the fourth pairing, but did well whenever he played. I was very please with our prospects for that tournament.”

Kekalainen spent several minutes this morning talking to David Perron. Perron told him that the season “has flown by.” I asked Kekalainen how gratifying it is to visit with a guy like Perron and see him do so well, after spending so much time learning about them in the draft preparation.

“It’s great . . . I don’t have a chance to do that too much,” Kekalainen said of his chat with Perron. “Usually when our team plays, I’m somewhere watching an amateur game. Monday’s and Tuesday’s are the days that I don’t have amateur games. Those are the days that I try to catch up with the pro stuff . . . not only our prospects, but also what the other young players are doing and how we thought that they would turn out. I think that’s the part of me trying to get better at my job. But whenever I get to see our team, that’s obviously the greatest treat.”

Before I let Kekalainen go, I asked him about the 2008 NHL draft.

“I think it’s a good draft, a lot of top quality players and quite a few of them,” Kekalainen said. “I think it’s both deep and has good quality, so I’m looking forward to it. Obviously it depends on where we’re going to be picking past 15, so we’re in the playoffs. I still think we’re going to get a real good player. We just had our mid-term meetings and we went through the process. It was good. We’ve got to narrow it down now and get to know those guys moving forward.”

Also in the locker room Tuesday was former Blues goalie Greg Millen. Millen has been involved in broadcasting for the past 15 years.

“I work for the Leaf midweek package and Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights,” Millen said. “I love television. I really enjoy every aspect of it.”

Millen still pays attention to the Blues.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I like the Blues. John Davidson has done a remarkable job. They’ve got some good young kids. They’re going in the right direction in terms of their turnaround, just trying to get some depth in their organization. I think they’re an up-and-coming team.

Millen said of St. Louis . . .

“To me, St. Louis is a terrific franchise in this league,” Millen said. ”I understand they had some hard times. But the hard-core group in St. Louis is there. It is a hockey town, there’s no doubt about it. Now that things are back on track in terms of ownership and JD and Larry Pleau . . . I do think things will be fine in St. Louis.

“When I was there, it was the sport. People were really excited about it. Obviously you had the Cardinals and your football team. But we weren’t far behind, and I think the area has the potential to be just like that again.”

Millen’s favorite Blues’ memory . . .

“For me, Game 7 against Toronto at home (in 1986) when we beat out the Leafs was a huge thrill being a Toronto boy,” Millen said. “Going to the final four that year and the run we had with teh Miracle with Wickenheiser and the goal against Calgary. That was a huge thrill. There’s no doubt my time in St. Louis was the highlight of my career.”

Millen spent much of his time in the Blues’ locker room catching up with Blues assistant coach Rick Wamsley. The two shared the Blues’ net from 1984-88, including the night of May 12, 1986, when the Blues pulled off the 6-5 miracle win over Calgary.

Wamsley always jokes that there wouldn’t have been a Monday Night Miracle if he hadn’t allowed 5 goals, putting the team down 5-2 and setting up the comeback.

“We have a lot of fun,” Millen said. “Rick and I were goalie partners for a number of years. We were just trading some old stories. It’s great to see Wammer. He’s always good for a laugh or two.”

JR