It was a little good news, bad news for the St. Louis Blues on Thursday and on Friday after they returned from their weeklong hiatus during the All-Star break.
First, the bad, and it's that the Blues will be a little shorthanded on defense with Justin Faulk and Scott Perunovich both listed as week-to-week with lower-body injuries, respectively.
Faulk was injured in a 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Jan. 23 and has missed the past four games. The injury is not related to the lower-body injury Faulk sustained Dec. 29 against the Colorado Avalanche that forced him to miss five games.
"One thing I should clarify with Faulk and his injury," Bannister said Thursday. "This isn't a reoccurence of the previous injury. It's a new injury that he sustained in the Calgary game. We'll know more as we go forward, but I think with him and Perunovich, they're both going to be week-to-week right now."
Perunovich was injured on Jan. 28 in a 4-3 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings midway through the third period and has missed one game.
There was hope that at least Faulk could skate during the All-Star break but that was not the case.
"It's disappointing," Bannister said. "He's a big part of our team, but while he was out in the first part, we played some good hockey, so we'll continue to do that and lean on guys moving forward and expect more from other guys.
"We always thought there would be a chance at maybe coming off the break that we would maybe have one or both in, but it's unfortunate that they come back and they're not quite ready to get themselves back on the ice. Certainly we're going to miss both of them, but like always, this is an opportunity for Calle Rosen and for [Tyler] Tucker to come in and be able to partake and give us good minutes. We're going to need these guys and other guys to step up."
Rosen was called up from Springfield of the American Hockey League on Thursday. There's more on him here and his return to St. Louis.
As for the good news, Kasperi Kapanen is on target to return to the lineup Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres at noon (ABC, ESPN 101.1-FM).
The forward has missed the past seven games with a lower-body injury blocking a shot against the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 15.
"I think he looks really good," Bannister said Friday after practice. "I think he's good to go here pretty soon. Obviously with a game tomorrow, there isn't any skate, but from what I've seen over the last two skates, he looks ready to go."
Kapanen, who has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 42 games, was skating the past two days on a line with Brayden Schenn and Jake Neighbours.
Also, Robert Thomas was back on the ice and fine after leaving practice Thursday towards the tail end of it after the center caught a deflected puck off his head at a net front drill.
"I don't think there were any issues with him yesterday other than he took the puck in the side of the head there and rung his bell a little bit, but he seemed fine after practice," Bannister said.
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