Blues plugged in pieces awaiting Shattenkirk's retrurn

After Kevin Shattenkirk was hurt Feb. 1, his fellow St. Louis defensemen made sure his absence wouldn't slow the Blues' drive toward the playoffs. The team's improved depth on defense helped it weather the six weeks he was out of the lineup after groin surgery, and it allowed him to ease back in when he returned in late March.

Which is not to say the Blues didn't miss the popular blueliner. Fully recovered from an injury that cost him 25 games, Shattenkirk is returning to form in the playoffs, with four assists in the first two games of the Blues' first-round series against the Wild.

Shattenkirk, in his fifth NHL season, made his first appearance in the NHL All-Star Game just before his injury. His four points in the playoffs were the most of any NHL defenseman entering Monday's games, on the heels of a regular season in which he compiled 44 points in 56 games.

"I feel like I'm starting to hit my stride again, finally," Shattenkirk said Monday. "I feel like I can skate like I have before, and everything else has all fallen back into place as well.

"When I look at some of my assists, they seem pretty easy on my part. I seem to just give it to the right guy. But that drives my game. That's something I know I have to bring to this team, to be an offensive threat and create those kinds of scoring chances. For it to be falling in right now is a pretty good feeling for me."

The Blues fortified their defense after bowing out of the playoffs in the first round last spring. Carl Gunnarsson, acquired in a trade last summer, plays on the first defensive pair with Alex Pietrangelo. Former Wild defenseman Zbynek Michalek, part of the second duo with Jay Bouwmeester, and rugged Robert Bortuzzo were obtained at the trade deadline.

Shattenkirk said the group is deep and adaptable, with players who can move in and out of the lineup and have great familiarity with one another. That helped the Blues overcome what forward David Backes called "a hole in our team" when Shattenkirk was hurt.

Given the severity of the injury, Shattenkirk worried he would be idled for a long time. But the six- to -eight-week recovery timetable put him on track for a late March return, and the Blues' wealth of capable defensemen meant he could take the time to fully heal. While Shattenkirk was out, the Blues' power play dipped a bit, but the team's defense remained one of the NHL's best.

Since his return, Shattenkirk has been teamed with Barret Jackman on the third defensive pairing. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said Shattenkirk is at his best when the team needs him most.

"As we move forward, he's going to get turned loose more and more," Hitchcock said. "He's going to be a major player in this series."