Consider that a major vote of confidence for Kessel from Blues interim coach Drew Bannister.

“It’s been a small sample size, but surely he’s done enough to continue staying in the lineup,” Bannister said. “As the season goes on and more games are played, that will be how we figure out if he is a full-time player.

“But I certainly see him trending in the right direction. ... I’ve said it before, I have a lot of belief in that player. I’ve see a lot of growth in his game at the American League level and I think it’s starting to translate to the NHL.”

Kessel, a stay-at-home defender with a right-handed shot, has complemented puck-mover Torey Krug at even strength. In theory, he could also be a good fit with Scott Perunovich, another puck mover with a left-side shot.

So Bannister kept him in the lineup over Marco Scandella, a veteran stay-at-home defender who shoots from the left side.

Kessel, 23, is in his second full season of professional hockey after a three-year career at UMass-Amherst. His steady work at Springfield of the AHL earned him a chance to fill in the NHL, which is a big accomplishment for a fifth-round draft pick.

“When (Bannister) was down there, and especially the other parts of the coaching staff have done a good job of kind of building me up to play my role,” Kessel said. “It’s what I’m doing now, so I’m just continuing that mindset up here.”

So far Kessel has taken full advantage by averaging 17:34 in ice time while playing against opposing scoring lines. He has blocked 12 shots in his five games while being tagged with just one giveaway.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Kessel said. “It’s obviously what I want to do, that’s the role I want to play on this team. It’s been fun to test my ability against them.

“I definitely think I’m still growing, but I’m happy with where I am right now. It’s just fun to keep competing against them.”

With Faulk’s activation, the Blues returned veteran winger Jakub Vrana to Springfield. After a solid showing during the team’s 2-1 shootout victory at Carolina, he was minus-3 with an especially egregious turnover during the 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.

Vrana was a healthy scratch in the 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers Thursday. So he heads back to the AHL where he scored eight points in seven games during his previous stint.

Forward Nikita Alexandrov has also enjoyed a productive conditioning stint at Springfield. He had one goal, three assists and a plus-6 rating in his first five games.

Also notable with the Thunderbirds: Malcolm Subban made 53 saves Friday as Springfield defeated the Syracuse Crunch 4-2 Friday. Veteran Adam Gaudette scored a hat trick in that game, giving him 23 goals in his first 35 games, and prospect Zachary Bolduc earned a power-play assist.

Blues forward Kevin Hayes is a Boston guy through and through. So facing the Bruins is still kind of a thing for him.

“I get to know some of these guys in the summer, so it’s fun to play against them,” he said. “I think it’s different when you play in Boston, than wherever I am. But it’s fun. I know a ton of guys over there.

“It was fun to see them last night and see them after the game.”