Alex Steen’s assault on Richard Trophy begins anew on Saturday

Alex Steen hasn’t played for the St. Louis Blues since Dec. 21, after which he was sidelined with concussion symptoms. Since that time, he’s dropped to sixth in the NHL goal-scoring race with a still-impressive total of 24 in 35 games, but Alex Ovechkin has opened up a 10-goal lead for the Rocker Richard Trophy.

So Steen’s got some catching up to do, and that catching up begins on Saturday. He said he’ll be back in the Blues’ lineup against the Anaheim Ducks.

How did St. Louis fare without its leading goal scorer?

Tremendously, actually: 3.46 goals per game, including five games with five or more goals, going 8-2-1. Their offense has struggled lately, however, with just four goals in their last three games, two of them losses. So Steen arrives at the right time.

Where he’s really missed, though: Playing with David Backes. The Blues captain has one goal and four assists in eight games without Steen, after scoring 30 points in 33 games with him. His other linemate, T.J. Oshie, has fared better, with 7 goals and 4 assists in 11 games.

Can Steen play himself back in the Richard race? Depends on if the Blues reunite that line, and it clicks as it did before his injury.