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Blues' Stastny returns to Colorado looking to 'get that first game out of the way'

Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA TODAY Sport

St. Louis Blues forward Paul Stastny will play in Colorado as a member of the opposition for the first time on Saturday night, and he's anxious to put the game against the Avalanche in the rear-view mirror.

"I want to get that first game out of the way," Stastny said before the contest, according to the team's official website.

"After that, it’s just another game," he added. "I know a lot of those guys on (Colorado's) team and this is the organization that gave me a chance to blossom into the player I’ve become. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for everything they did for me. I’m just excited to be back here with a Blues jersey to play another NHL game."

Stastny signed a four-year contract with the Blues on July 1 after spending eight seasons with the Avalanche. 

He missed the first meeting with Colorado due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for eight contests. The center has four goals and an assist in his last four games.

"It’s been an up and down season. Sometimes bounces go your way, sometimes not," he said. "Things are going in, but at the same time, I’m starting to feel healthy again. I just have to keep playing, try to get more ice time and keep building the confidence."

Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock is expecting it to be an emotion return.

"I think it's really uncomfortable for the players," Hitchcock said. "He’s just going to have to go through it. Finish the game, get back on the bus and get back to St. Louis. I think it’s a very difficult challenge, especially for an impact player on a good hockey club. I think it’s going to be really difficult for him."

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