Philip Broberg spoke for the first time since injuring his knee on Nov. 4. Before he was sidelined, Broberg was having a strong season with the St. Louis Blues. He scored nine points in 12 games and averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game. He had just over a minute of power-play time per outing and was playing on the second defensive pairing with Justin Faulk.
Broberg called it a "scary moment" but said he was relieved it wasn’t too serious.
“It wasn’t the best feeling and a scary moment for sure,” Philip Broberg said on Wednesday, per NHL insider Jeremy Rutherford. “But I’m glad it wasn’t too serious. I’m looking forward to working my way back and get healthy again.”
Philip Broberg returned to full practice on Tuesday. He could be back in the lineup as early as Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers. If not, he is expected to return during the Blues’ upcoming road trip.
The defenseman was making a strong impression after joining the Blues this season. His offensive and defensive play had already surpassed expectations.
Philip Broberg is focused on regaining his form and helping the Blues continue their strong start. The St. Louis Blues have a record of 10-12-1 this season and are fifth in the Central Division with 21 points. They have won against strong teams like the New York Rangers (5-2), Boston Bruins (3-2), Tampa Bay Lightning (3-2) and Toronto Maple Leafs (4-2).
St. Louis Blues won 5-2 against the Rangers in Philip Broberg's absence
The St. Louis Blues defeated the New York Rangers 5-2 at Madison Square Garden on Monday, giving Jim Montgomery his first win as the coach of the team.
Montgomery praised the team’s effort and physical play.
"I loved our effort, our execution offensively was really good," Montgomery said after the game, via NHL.com, "We have some areas to improve upon, but just the effort. That's Blues hockey. That's blue-collar hockey."
Will Cuylle scored for the Rangers at 8:47 of the first period, redirecting Kaapo Kakko’s shot off his skate. The Blues tied it 1-1 at 11:45 when Brayden Schenn set up Jordan Kyrou.
Zack Bolduc gave the Blues a 2-1 lead at 4:30 of the second period. Cuylle tied it again for the Rangers at 7:20, scoring his second goal after Hofer lost his stick during a scramble.
In the third period, Schenn broke the tie at 1:12 with a breakaway goal. Bolduc scored his second goal at 8:25, firing a rebound into the top corner to make it 4-2. Pavel Buchnevich added an empty-net goal at 17:15 to seal the win.