"Duncan Keith is ready to get out of the uncharted waters he finds himself in. After missing three games in a row with a finger/hand injury, the standout defenseman said he's optimistic that he'll play Tuesday for the Blackhawks against the Blues in St. Louis.

Keith practiced for the first time with this teammates Monday after getting injured last week when he blocked a shot against the Nashville Predators.

"It felt good to be back out," Keith said. "I was excited to be back out there with the guys and getting in some drills again. I haven't had really much time like that where you're sitting out and not playing. It's nice to get out on the ice again.""