Wednesday, January 19, 2011

(1-20-11) BLUES NOTEBOOK

Colaiacovo to IR with eye injury; McDonald skates

By LOUIE KORAC
HAZELWOOD, Mo. -- It's happened to Carlo Colaiacovo. Again.

It's a familiar cliche, but if it weren’t for bad luck, the Blues' defenseman would have no luck at all.

After escaping with only 12 combined stitches (nine on the outside of his upper lip and three more on the inside of his mouth) following a puck to the mouth last week in Anaheim, Colaiacovo returned to the Blues' lineup Tuesday after missing only two games.

But after taking a puck off the left eye by Los Angeles' Drew Doughty, Colaiacovo will be out "a couple weeks," according to Blues coach Davis Payne.

"He's pretty sore," Payne said of Colaiacovo Wednesday after the Blues' optional skate at St. Louis Mills. "... With the eye, it's going to take some time to heal."

Payne said he didn't know any specific details pertaining to Colaiacovo, who missed seven games earlier this season with a concussion and was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.

Doughty's shot in the second period caught Colaiacovo, who turned to his right, high on his head and he was immediately rushed off the ice by team trainer Ray Barile and did not return.

"It's bad luck," defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. "The one in Anaheim was just a fluky shot. Last night again ... half the time, those pucks hit your stick and goes out of play. But it hits the stick and rolls up the shaft. You feel bad for him. The guy battles, but sometimes that's just how it goes. Hopefully, he'll be alright to get back here."

Colaiacovo, who earlier this season was hit in the head by San Jose's Devin Setoguchi and returned wearing a visor, typically doesn't wear any facial protection.

"For one game there I put one on, and it felt so weird," Colaiacovo said earlier this week. "... You never want to start talking about stuff like that and second-guessing yourself. I'm not going to think about putting one on. Just worry about playing."

When the Blues (22-17-6) face the Detroit Red Wings tonight, either Tyson Strachan will be inserted into the lineup or it could be Ian Cole, who was recalled early Wednesday afternoon from AHL Peoria for a fourth time this season.

"We've got Strachs. He played a good game in LA on the road trip," Payne said before the Cole announcement. "I feel like he can step in. We'll make the assessment as to what our lineup needs to look like for tomorrow against Detroit."

Strachan says he's ready if called upon.

"That's just terrible luck for a guy the first game back," Strachan said. "We hope he's OK. But yeah, it might be an opportunity. That's why I've been here working hard to step in and help the team out."

* McDonald skates -- Blues forward Andy McDonald, who has missed the past 20 games, skated Wednesday for the first time since suffering a concussion Dec. 4 in Edmonton.

McDonald, who was the team leader in points (17) on eight goals and nine assists when he departed the lineup, skated by himself at the Ice Zone early Wednesday morning for roughly 30-45 minutes before the team practiced.

Although this is a good sign McDonald's health is improving and he could be getting closer to a return to the lineup, it's still unknown when and if he does in fact return. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is scheduled to address the status of both McDonald and David Perron (concussion) after the first period of tonight's game.

Perron, out since Nov. 4, missed his 35th game Tuesday but was in the building to take in the Blues' 2-1 victory over the Kings.

* Porter designated -- Winger Chris Porter was placed on waivers for the purpose of being designated for assignment to Peoria.

Teams have until 11 a.m. today to claim Porter, who was a healthy scratch Tuesday with the return of T.J. Oshie to the lineup after Porter played the previous 16 games.

Porter has played a total of 25 games this season, collecting two assists.

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