ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo could return to the lineup tonight, coach Ken Hitchcock said Monday.
Pietrangelo left during the second period of St. Louis' 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday at Scottrade Center after Kings winger Dwight King slammed him face-first into the boards. The action resulted in a two-minute minor penalty.
Pietrangelo skated during practice Monday, a day after he was absent from the Blues' workout. Hitchcock said his star defenseman received an injury that was "between the middle and the lower (body)." The coach said Pietrangelo will be a game-time decision.
"Right now, he's an injured player," Hitchcock told reporters after practice Monday. "If he's in the warm-up before the game, he's a player. Right now, we're deciding. He feels good so far, so we'll see if he can make it through the rest of the day."
Pietrangelo, who was taken by the Blues fourth overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, earned a career-high 12 goals and 39 assists in the Blues' breakout regular season. He has four assists through six games in the playoffs.
