The Kings’ season took a potentially worrisome turn Tuesday when center Anze Kopitar, who has led them in scoring each of the last eight seasons, suffered an upper-body injury during the first period of their game at St. Louis.
A team spokesman said Kopitar was not expected to return to the contest.
Kopitar was struck in the lower part of his face by an elbow or the butt-end of a stick when he was hit by St. Louis Blues forward Ryan Reaves just over 12 minutes into the game at the Scottrade Center. Kopitar went to the bench and was bent over, but he came out to kill a penalty soon afterward and played several more shifts.