Breaking: Blues lose two big players for regular season, maybe more.

The St. Louis Blues will be heading into the National Hockey League playoffs with some serious holes to fill on their roster.

The Blues have announced that they have lost two of their core players, goaltender Jake Allen, and veteran forward David Backes for at least the remainder of the regular season as a result of a pair of lower-body injuries. It's unclear how long either player will be out, the Blues would only state that both men will be evaluated again once the regular season has ended.

Backes, who is notoriously durable, has appeared in every game for this season and could not have picked a worse time to put an end to his current ironman streak. He's accounted for 45 points in 79 games for St. Louis this season and his versatility and experience will likely be impossible to replace in the short-term.

As for Allen, he has been the Blues workhorse this season, and while Brian Elliott has put up slightly better numbers this season, Allen has shouldered the bulk of the load, especially when Elliott missed time due to injury. This is the second time Allen has suffered a long-term injury this season, it's unclear if the two are related, but it's certainly not a good sign heading into the post-season.

[pub]