After indicating for a week that Paul Kariya would return Friday, Blues coach Andy Murray said today that Kariya would not play Friday against Anaheim or Saturday against Minnesota.
Here’s the skinny: Kariya left the game Nov. 5 in Anaheim with a hip-flexor injury. It had been bothering him for a while. He also took a puck off the foot that night. So he left the game because of the hip-flexor, but he returned to St. Louis to have an MRI on his foot. The MRI showed that he had a bruised foot. In the weeks since, Kariya’s foot has healed, but his hip-flexor injury is still nagging.
“He won’t play tomorrow and probably not on Saturday either,” Murray said. “He’s not quite right yet. It’s a hip-flexor. The foot is not an issue, it’s his hip-flexor that’s the problem. That’s what is keeping him out right now.”
Kariya practiced yesterday and the Blues still seemed optimistic that he could play Friday, but Kariya didn’t practice today, and may have to have the injury looked at by doctors.
“We kind of thought it would (heal),” Murray said. “It’s just those groins, those hip-flexors. You think he’s coming along, and actually Paul felt pretty good the first part of practice yesterday, and then he just didn’t feel good afterwards and today. It wasn’t like he pushed himself too hard. He just did a little bit of the power-play stuff.”
While the Blues are saying he won’t play Friday or Saturday, Kariya could miss more games as a result of this injury. There’s no timetable for his return right now.
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Patrik Berglund left practice early today and Murray said afterwards that he has a “strain.”
Berglund hit a rut in the ice and it’s believed he tweaked his groin. He’s listed as questionable for Friday’s game, but he appears extremely iffy. The Blues have called up Brad Winchester from Peoria.
- In my JR LIVE chat today, there were several questions about Nikolai Lemtyugov, and why the Blues haven’t called him up. Dave Eminien, who covers the Rivermen for the Peoria Journal-Star, told me this about Lemtyugov today: ”He doesn’t have the consistency night to night yet. When he’s on his game, he’s really very good. I just don’t think there’s nights when he want to play.” As far as other guys, Eminien says that Porter hasn’t looked very good, and the others might be in the mix are currently injured. Julian Talbot has a groin injury, Trent Whitfield has several injuries and Charles Linglet broke his wrist in practice today.
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With Kariya and Berglund out today, here’s what the forward combinations looked like:
Steve Regier-Keith Tkachuk-Brad Boyes
Lee Stempniak-David Backes-David Perron
Mike Crombeen-Jay McClement-Yan Stastny
STEVE WAGNER-Cam Paddock-Cam Janssen
- Before Winchester was recalled today, defenseman Steve Wagner practiced at left wing - and it wasn’t just to fill in at practice. Murray said afterwards that Wagner at forward was an option. “I think he’s got the speed that he can do that,” Murray said. ”It’s a possibility.” Obviously after the Winchester call-up, Wagner won’t be at forward Friday.
- Regier will slide into Kariya’s spot. Regier, of course, scored two goals last Sunday and then was sent to Peoria in a cost-saving move for the Blues. I know a lot of people were disappointed to see the Blues handle the Regier situation like that, but take a look at this nuggest I found on USA Today:
In order to save $12,000 in salary-cap space, the Ducks on Monday assigned two rookies, left wing Bobby Ryan and defenseman Brett Festerling, to their ECHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. The Ducks, who did not practice Monday, recalled Ryan and Festerling in time for Tuesday’s practice. In order to meet the requirements of the unusual move, Ryan and Festerling traveled to Bakersfield on Monday, spent the night there, and returned to Anaheim early Tuesday morning. The $12,000 in cap space the Ducks gained, pro-rated over the rest of the season, could give the club between $50,000 and $60,000 in extra cap space before the March 4 NHL trade deadline.
- Backes would play center on the second line. “I think that’s the way we would go, with the bigger body in the middle there,” Murray said.
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As some already know, David Koci was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay today.