Blues’ Pronger Out for Regular Season

Once again, the St. Louis Blues will have to learn to live without the NHL’s most valuable player.

Defenseman Chris Pronger suffered a broken left forearm Monday night when struck by a clearing pass by teammate Alexander Khavanov in the Blues’ 7-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks at St. Louis. He’ll be sidelined for the rest of the regular season.

“Hopefully, it’ll make the team that much stronger when he does come back,” said Marty Reasoner, who had two goals. “But you obviously can’t replace a guy like that.”

Pronger, who was injured in the first period, had just returned to the Blues last weekend after sitting out 15 games because of a knee surgery.

“He was just so comfortable the last game, and here he goes again,” Coach Joel Quenneville said. “It’s a tough blow.”

The Blues led, 1-0, at the time and kept rolling, regaining first place in the Central Division by a point over the idle Detroit Red Wings.

Reasoner doubled his season goal total and Jochen Hecht also scored two goals for St. Louis, which matched a season high for goals. The Blues had been outscored, 18-9, the previous five games.

It was the most goals this season against the Sharks, who lead the NHL in fewest goals allowed, and the most in Darryl Sutter’s four seasons as coach.

“It was a total letdown,” defenseman Gary Suter said. “It’s our most embarrassing loss of the year.”

Calgary 3, Dallas 2--Fred Brathwaite made 21 saves at Calgary, Canada, to extend his unbeaten streak against the Stars to seven games.

New Jersey 5, Florida 3--John Madden scored a short-handed goal with 4:48 to play as the Devils rallied at East Rutherford, N.J.

Ottawa 3, New York Rangers 2--Todd White and Daniel Alfredsson scored third-period goals to lead the Senators at New York.

Vancouver 5, Minnesota 2--Brendan Morrison had a goal and an assist, and the Canucks scored two goals in the first five minutes at St. Paul, Minn.

Around the League

The Phoenix Coyotes will trade holdout goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, said Jay Grossman, the agent for the restricted free agent who has sat out the last two seasons. Grossman said he was informed about the trade decision by Coyote General Manager Cliff Fletcher after Phoenix signed goalie Sean Burke to a three-year contract that could be worth as much as $9 million. . . . Toronto Maple Leaf defenseman Bryan Berard, sidelined since last March 11, has given up on returning to the NHL after a severe eye injury. . . . Edmonton Oiler defenseman Igor Ulanov is expected to be sidelined for at least a week because of an eye injury. . . . Andre Roy of the Ottawa Senators was suspended for two games for pursuing the Vancouver Canucks’ Donald Brashear in a stadium corridor after a game. . . . Simon Gagne, the leading goal scorer for the Philadelphia Flyers, will be sidelined for three weeks because of a dislocated shoulder.