The St. Louis Blues have been in this position before. One of their headiest players is out with an injury and his return is questionable. Alex Pietrangelo was injured in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Kings on April 28. The Blues went on to give up two goals after he left the game and lost 3-1.
This scenario sounds familiar. Andy McDonald went down with a concussion in early October before coming back in mid-February to lead the Blues on a charge to the top of the Western Conference. The Blues won without McDonald on the ice. Yet his presence was clearly felt every game towards the end of the season.
Pietrangelo and the Blues need to have a gut-check no matter what happens. They can win without one guy. Ice hockey is a team sport. Unfortunately, Pietrangelo is a young, tough defenseman. That very system has been vital to the Blues' success at blocking shots and keeping shots on goal to a minimum. Replacing a speedy defenseman won't be easy.
Pietrangelo helped pick up the slack in McDonald's absence. At one point, he had a nine-game streak of having at least one point in early January. He also scored at least one goal in five games straight in that same span. He had another streak in early March after McDonald returned to action.
There's no question St. Louis will miss Pietrangelo's heads-up play on the ice. Head coach Ken Hitchcock has a decision to make. Will he play his young gun and risk further injuries? I don't think that's a good idea. Players are an investment, especially since Pietrangelo's a young guy. He has his whole career ahead of him at 22.
The Blues knew this would be a tough series against a hard-hitting team. How they respond in Game 2 will determine the fate of the rest of the playoffs. I expect the first 10 minutes of the game to be fast with plenty of shots and lots of hits on the part of St. Louis. They don't like to lose.
St. Louis was down after one game in the quarterfinals against the San Jose Sharks before winning four straight including two victories in California to seal the deal. There's no reason why the Blues can't do the same thing again with a gritty win at home.
William Browning was born in St. Louis and has been a lifelong Blues fan.
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