Despite the hope that we all felt at seeing Mike Russo's tweet:
#stlblues "rook" @dbackes42 and asst coach Gary Agnew proving they're the best "puck pickeruppers in the #NHL" pic.twitter.com/pdHNGIylKS
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) December 31, 2013
David Backes will not be in the lineup tonight against his home-state Minnesota Wild. His upper-body injury isn't bad enough that he can miss practice (or bend over to help pick up hockey pucks), but picking up pucks and playing in a game are two very different things.
It appears that Backes will continue to be a game-time decision for a little while. This injury continues to leave the Blues without some of their more valuable players. Forwards Backes, Alexander Steen, and Ryan Reaves are out, as are defensemen Roman Polak and Jordan Leopold. Backes, one would assume, will return to the lineup first, though when is unknown.
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