Tyson Strachan underscored the point that an injury to fellow
defenseman Barret Jackman, which put Strachan back in the Blues’
lineup Saturday, must be painful.
“You know what they say about ‘Jacks’ – he’d probably have a
nail through his head and he’d go out there and play,” Strachan
said.
Well, if that were the case, Jackman would be out with an
upper-body injury. As it turns out, he missed Saturday’s game with
the Columbus Blue Jackets with a lower-body injury.
Jackman finished Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to Detroit, so
it’s not known when the injury occurred. He sat out nine games with
a sprained knee earlier this season, but sources confirmed Saturday
that his current injury is not knee-related. He is listed as day to
day.
“When ‘Jacks’ can’t go, you know there’s something going on
there,” Blues coach Davis Payne said. “He’s a guy that battles
through a lot. He’s got a high tolerance … high threshold.”
So Strachan suited up for the 21st time in 47 games this season
and only the second time in the last 17 games. He has one assist
and has a minus-7 rating with 24 penalty minutes.
“I’m minus-7 on the year, which is frustrating,” Strachan said.
“That’s always been a good stat for me. Overall in my career I’m
still a plus player (plus-4), so something like that is
frustrating. But at the same time, I think I’ve played well and
stood up for my teammates when I needed to and brought the type of
game that I can bring.”
WAIVER RULE
The Blues aren’t the only team to be burned by the NHL’s rule
requiring free agents playing in Europe after Oct. 1 to go through
waivers.
On Saturday, one day after Detroit signed goaltender Evgeni
Nabokov to a contract, the New York Islanders claimed him on
waivers. Reports on Saturday said that Nabokov has chosen not to
join the Islanders, who are 15-24-7 and in 14th place in the
Eastern Conference. That would make Nabokov ineligible to play this
season.
In late December, the Blues signed Marek Svatos, but Nashville
claimed the forward on waivers. Last week, they signed Kyle
Wellwood, but San Jose claimed him.
COACH HINOTE
Former Blue Dan Hinote, who spent 2006-09 with the team, is in
his first season as an assistant coach with Columbus. Hinote’s role
has him watching from the press box and reporting to assistant Bob
Boughner on the bench.
“That’s what makes the job fun, having a chance to make a
difference,” Hinote said. “It’s one thing to push pucks around the
ice. It’s another to have a say in shaping the team.”
BLUENOTES
The Blues have rescheduled their annual rink tours, where they
meet and greet fans at area facilities, for Feb. 10, from 6 to 7
p.m.