Will Kariya Play for Blues?

Sunday night is a pivotal one for the St. Louis Blues. Down 2-0 in a best-of-seven series against Vancouver, St. Louis plays their first home playoff game since 2004 on Sunday night.

Veteran forward Paul Kariya has been out of the Blues' lineup since November. He's coming off hip surgery, and was recently cleared to skate with the team. His first practice with the Blues was Sunday morning, leading to a lot of buzz about his status for Sunday night's game. It's buzz that the Blues didn't do very much to kill.

The Blues know how to play the media, and they could simply be doing that.

Or maybe they're serious.

When he came off the ice, Kariya was asked if he'd be in the lineup to help the Blues who had only one goal in the first two games, said, "We'll see."

Not, "No way." Not, "Maybe."

So a question was posed to St. Louis coach Andy Murray: What does it say to you if Paul Kariya says, "We'll see."

The coach got a big smile on his face and didn't hesitate in saying, "If Paul tells me he can play ... he's in."

Jeremy Rutherford posted on the Morning Skate blog that Kariya is "extremely doubtful" for Sunday's game.

For what it's worth, I think it's dumb to save Kariya for a Game Four. If the Blues think he can be an asset to their lineup, what's the use of waiting until the series is potentially 3-0? If Kariya says he can go, either you let him play, or you shut him down if Vancouver wins Sunday.

We'll update this post once official word on Kariya's status is announced.

UPDATE: Word on the proverbial street is that both Kariya and Vancouver's Mats Sundin (groin) are out.