T. J. Oshie did not participate in practice on Monday at St. Louis Mills – and that was good news for the Blues.
Oshie was not skating because he was given the day to heal, for the second day n a row. As a result, the wrist he jammed in Saturday's tie/shootout loss at Minnesota is considerably better. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said he expects Oshie to be available by 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday when the Blues play host to the Los Angeles Kings at Scottrade Center.
“He feels good, so unless something changes, he's in there,” Hitchcock said. “The two days off did him wonders and he's looking like he's a player for Tuesday.”
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Another side of the coin is Carlo Colaiacovo, who also was not at practice. But that was bad news. Colaiacovo, who has been outstanding when healthy, remains unavailable after tweaking the hamstring in his left leg on Thursday night. He will miss his seventh of 20 games.
Colaiacovo did not go on the Minnesota trip and the hope was he would benefit from a few days off, but he has been unable to practice and will not be available Tuesday. His status remains day to day.
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Brett Sterling skated with the Blues on Monday, but if Oshie is ready, he won't be in the lineup. Sterling, 27, was with the Blues in training camp and was recalled from Peoria of the American Hockey League, where he is second in the league with 22 points. He is tied for the AHL lead in goals with 12 in 18 games with the Rivermen this season.
The 5-foot-7, 175-pound forward has 26 games of National Hockey League (NHL) experience. He had three goals in seven games with Pittsburgh last season. A Los Angeles native, he was signed by the Blues as a free agent on July 4, 2011.
Sterling was happy to get a chance to skate with the parent team, whether he gets in the game tonight or not.
“I think the NHL as a whole... obviously guys are here for a reason,” Sterling said. “The pace is quicker, guys are smarter as a whole, the game in general is just faster. So it's good to get up here, get your legs moving, your mind going and get used to that pace of game. It definitely makes you a better player.”
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Jaroslav Halak will get the start in goal for the Blues against Los Angeles, while Brian Elliott figures to start at Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
