PITTSBURGH • As he has done in recent weeks, David Perron made the road trip to the Steel City with the Blues and Wednesday night he watched Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby play his second game since coming back from a concussion.

On Monday, Crosby's first game in 10½ months, the Penguins captain netted two goals and two assists in a 5-0 win over the New York Islanders.

"It was crazy," said Perron, who hasn't played in 13 months since suffering his own concussion. "I know what he went through over the last year and it's not fun. To see the kind of performance he had, it was simply amazing. There's not many players that can put up four points on any given night, let alone coming back from a one-year injury."

Perron, who was recently cleared for contact, says that he's "itching" to get back in game action himself and that day could be coming soon. After Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh, the Blues' next stretch is Friday at home against Calgary, Sunday in Columbus and Tuesday in Washington.

"There's no date," Perron said. "It's just a matter of getting into practices and seeing how I react. It's only been like four or five days (since he was cleared for contact) and I haven't done a whole lot of it. We have a lot of games right now and a lot of optional skates and when it's optional, it's more about shooting and conditioning, so we haven't gotten a lot of (physicality) yet."

"But I feel pretty good out there, so as long as I keep going, I'll keep progressing. It's tough for me to put a date on it before I go through the whole process. This is where I'm at right now. It's been awhile and I'm itching to play, but at the same time, I want to make sure that I'm doing it the right way."

Perron said that he did not have a chance to talk to Crosby while the Blues were in town.

"He's probably so busy right now, I just left him alone," Perron said. "You get to the point where everyone is talking to you about it and he's probably sick of it like I am."

When asked by reporters Wednesday when he realized it was time to play in a game, Crosby said: "I felt like I wasn't going to get anything more out of practice. It was more a matter of making sure everyone was on the same page as far as being ready to come back. It wasn't pre-determined or anything like that."

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong indicated that there would be advanced notice when Perron is ready to suit up.

"Everyone will get a 24-48 hour notice that David has been cleared and he's going to play," Armstrong said. "But whether that's next week or next month, David will answer that question. We can't answer that. We're at the point now where he's participating in practice with contact and it's a comfort level he'll have."

OSHIE OK

Blues forward T.J. Oshie was back in the lineup Wednesday after being crosschecked in the back by Los Angeles' Drew Doughty in the waning seconds of Tuesday's 3-2 loss.

Doughty received a two-minute minor penalty for cross-checking, and possibility of a suspension, but Wednesday the NHL limited any further disciplinary action to a $2,500 fine. There was no explanation for the decision.

"The way I view it, Brendan Shanahan watches every team and every game," Armstrong said. "So he has a feeling of what he's done in the past and what he's trying to accomplish. I find myself the emotions of your own team outweigh everything, so I just respect the job he has. Sometimes I agree, sometimes I disagree. But at the end of the day, you're not going to control it, so I try not to put much time or energy into it."

BLUE NOTES

Chris Stewart returned to the lineup after a three-game suspension for an illegal hit. ... Brett Sterling made his Blues' debut, on the fourth line. Forwards Evgeny Grachev and Chris Porter, along with defenseman Cade Fairchild, were healthy scratches.