Blues forwards took maintenance day for Friday's practice; center on verge of returning from high ankle sprain; Robert Thomas considered day to day, Dylan Holloway shut down through Olympics
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- St. Louis Blues forwards Jake Neighbours and Jimmy Snuggerud are expected to play against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Each played and scored on a dramatic 5-4 win against the Florida Panthers on Thursday, including Snuggerud, whose power-play goal with 8.4 seconds left in regulation was the winner.
"Maintenance," Blues coach Jim Montgomery called their absence from practice Friday. "Both are sore. Expected to play. Again, just see the soreness and pain tolerance tomorrow."
Matt Luff, who was assigned back to Springfield of the American Hockey League along with Hugh McGing after each forward was recalled under emergency conditions on Wednesday, was again recalled under emergency conditions on Friday as insurance.
Also, center Pius Suter, who has missed 15 games with a high ankle sprain, last playing a game on Dec. 27 against the Nashville Predators, has another full practice on Friday and has not entered the equation for inclusion into the lineup.
"We'll know a lot more tomorrow," Montgomery said. "He's a possibility for tomorrow. If he feels good tomorrow more like he did this morning after his practice, then he'll be a player."
Suter, who will represent Switzerland at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy in February, would find it ideal to play in a couple games before heading overseas to represent his country for the second time.
"The injury takes an amount of time. You can't rush it," Suter said. "But it would be nice to get a couple games in. Obviously to also help the team (here). They've been battling hard the last few weeks here, got a nice win yesterday and got rewarded for it. We've been battling hard for a few games now and had some tough losses. We'll see how it goes. If it's not, it is what it is. We just want to make sure the injury's right."
Robert Thomas (lower-body injury) remains day to day but Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain) will be shut down through the Olympics.
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