Blues would get Kevin Shattenkirk back o

Kevin Shattenkirk's absence had painful effects on your St. Louis Blues. Saturday, it looks things will receive even closer to normal.

Shattenkirk, an all-star defenseman, is anticipated to learn responsible for since Feb. 1. This is when an abdominal injury sent him for surgical repairs.

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Also likely to return from injury in the event the Blues face the Columbus Blue Jackets: defenseman Carl Gunnar Paul Kariya Jersey son. Petteri Lindbohm was taken to AHL Chicago on Wednesday, an Sami Vatanen Jersey indication one within the injured defensemen would play.

Coach Ken Hitchcock said the c's believed Shattenkirk was all-around playing. The important, he told Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford, was how Shattenkirk responded after Friday's practice.

Both defensemen skated Thursday at an optional practice, Rutherford reported.

"We expect him to learn Saturday, but they have to feed that test tomorrow," Hitchcock told beat writer Norm Sanders.

"Tomorrow is a ma sive day, a sizable benchmark to find where My organization is," Shattenkirk told Sanders. "That's the master plan po se ses been all week, to feel out tomorrow and move from there."

Shattenkirk is usually a key player on the Blues' loaded defense. Before his injury he has 40 points, indicative of his offensive upside. Alters are also had 77 blocked shots, symptomatic he was improving on defense. Few team desires to lose Official Anaheim Ducks Jersey Store a defenseman who plays nearly 23 minutes a game title, including power playtime.

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With 99 points, the Blues and Anaheim Ducks are vying for first overall seed in your Western Conference and were one point back within the NHL-best Montreal Canadiens, who played Thursday.

The Blues were 14-8-3 without Shattenkirk.

Gunnarson mi sed the previous two games with the upper-body injury. If he too plays, Hitchcock must decide upon eight defensemen to confront the Jackets. His healthy bodies are Barret Jackman, Zbynek Michalek, Jay Bouwmeester, Chris Butler, Alex Pietrangelo and Robert Bortuzzo. You'll be able the Blues would play seven defensemen with either Butler or Jackman if you are not both as healthy scratches.

"This may be the second day he's held it's place in Cam Fowler Jersey the ice, so I hope that he's prepared," Hitchcock said of Gunnar son. "We're as long as. He came within the pregame skate before fine, making this another 48 hours later ... we're hoping that he's 100 %."