Keith, Olesz & Scott to play vs. Blues

ST. LOUIS — Defenseman Duncan Keith is back in the Blackhawks lineup — and so are defenseman John Scott and winger Rostislav Olesz.

Keith will play Tuesday against the Blues after missing three games in a row with a finger/hand injury suffered last week against the Nashville Predators when he blocked a shot.

Keith will play with longtime defense partner Brent Seabrook on the blue line as coach Joel Quenneville tinkers with his lineup after the Hawks allowed 10 goals in the past two games.

Nick Leddy and Niklas Hjalmarsson will be paired together as expected, but the final defensive pairing will be Scott and Steve Montador. Sami Lepisto and Sean O’Donnell look like scratches. Scott was scratched the last three games.

The Blues have been one of the toughest teams recently, fielding lineups full of fighters. But Quenneville said putting Scott in the lineup had little to do with that.

“I think we want to get [Scott] in the lineup and want to see how he can play not just one game, but take advantage of a regular shift and see how he plays,” Quenneville said.

Olesz, a scratch the last 11 games, will take Bryan Bickell’s spot on the third line. Olesz said his surgically repaired knee has been fine.

“I didn’t play for many games so this is chance,” Olesz said. “I have to play like it’s my last game, but I can’t do too much thinking. If I’m over-motivated, that’s not good.”