Healthy Blues bring new challenge

The Kings and St. Louis Blues faced each other four times during the regular season, but how well do the Kings really know the Blues? Andy McDonald missed all four of those games, and Alexander Steen missed two of the four. Those are both top-six forwards for the Blues who are now healthy and productive.

McDonald missed 51 games with a concussion. He returned in mid-February and finished the regular season with 10 goals and 12 assists in 25 games, then caught fire in the first-round playoff series against San Jose, as he had four goals and four assists in five games. Steen missed three months with a concussion and had 15 goals in 43 regular-season games.

SUTTER: “I think Steen and McDonald are both guys we didn’t see, the two one-nothing games. They didn’t play either game, so obviously it solidifies a first or second line, depending on how you want to look at it for them. They’re able to play Backes, Oshie, Perron, McDonald, Steen and Berglund. That’s six top guys, no matter how they play them. McDonald, there are probably real similarities to Justin Williams, in terms of both guys won Cups. Both guys are sort of the same age. Both guys are looked at as offensive guys. That’s a pretty good matchup there.’’

Asked about McDonald, in particular, Sutter said, “He has won a Stanley Cup. He plays on a really good line. He’s got two good linemates, in Berglund and Steen. He’s a really good power-play guy. That should be enough, right there, for us to worry about.”