Dave Luecking
© St. Louis Post-Dispatch
December 8, 1999

Blues rookie winger Tyson Nash might have met his match Sunday night in Philadelphia.

Nash suffered what the team called "a slight concussion" on successive hits from 6-5, 238-pound Eric Lindros and 6-5, 230-pound Chris Therien in the second period of the Blues' 3-2 loss to the Flyers at First Union Center. Nash did not play in the Blues' 4-2 loss to Carolina on Tuesday.

"They're big guys - I maybe barked up the wrong tree," said the 5-11, 195-pound Nash, who sought out both hits. "It was the weirdest thing. I saw (Lindros) coming, and I wanted to see how big this guy really was. I tried to counter-hit him. I was standing still, and he hit me so hard it was like a whiplash. I was a little dizzy and kept playing, then I got hit by Therien. I don't think that helped much."

Therien elbowed Nash on the head as Nash checked him into the boards. Referee Rob Shick penalized Therien for elbowing.

"I got my bell rung a little bit and played the rest of the game," Nash said. "I had a few of the symptoms - a headache - the next morning."

Nash practiced with the Blues on Monday, then underwent a CT scan and a neuro-psychological test in which he scored below his preseason baseline.

"They said I didn't do as well," said Nash, who attributed that to ner ves more than his head injury. "I was so nervous. I wanted to pass."

Although he didn't practice Tuesday morning, he said he felt fine and could have played Tuesday night.

"I wanted to play, but they want to make sure," he said. "There's no sense taking a chance."

With Nash sidelined, veteran Terry Yake returned to the lineup after missing nine games with a pulled groin muscle. Yake started the game as the right wing on the Blues' No. 1 line with Pierre Turgeon at center and Jochen Hecht moving to left wing.

Left winger Scott Pellerin dropped to the third line with right winger Scott Young and center Craig Conroy. Early in the game, Conroy was dropped to the fourth line with Jamal Mayers and Derek King. Mike Eastwood replaced Conroy on the third line.

Veteran defenseman Dave Ellett returned to the lineup after sitting out six games as a healthy scratch. He replaced Rico Persson in a pairing with Chris McAlpine.

Meanwhile, defenseman Todd Reirden sat out for the third consecutive game with a strained right shoulder. Kelly Chase missed his 13th game with a sprained right knee.