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Kariya faces former team on Wednesday

Oct 10, 2007 - 2:22 PM Nashville (2-0-0) at St. Louis (1-1-0) 8:30 pm EDT

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Paul Kariya was one of the many reasons the St. Louis Blues struggled so mightily last season and landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft. Now, he hopes to be among the reasons they succeed.

Kariya leads the Blues in their home opener against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

Last season, the 32-year-old Kariya helped the Predators rough up St. Louis to the tune of a 0-7-1 record. It was in part due to that dominance - 15-1-0 over the last two seasons - over the Blues that St. Louis ended up with a NHL-worst 57 points, helping them secure defenseman Erik Johnson with the first pick in the 2006 draft.

St. Louis signed Kariya from Nashville in July, inking him to a three-year contract worth a reported $18 million, hoping he could team with Johnson in an effort to help it reach the postseason for the first time since 2004.

However, the Blues may be without regular netminder Manny Legace after he re-injured the same right knee that caused him to miss the last 21 games of last season in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Hannu Toivonen would get the start if Legace cannot go.

The Predators have no such concerns in goal, as Chris Mason has been sensational so far. The 31-year-old goaltender has stopped 63 of 64 shots in Nashville's first two against Colorado and Dallas and owns a 10-1-0 record with a 1.84 goals-against average in 13 games against the Blues.