St. Louis forward Robert Thomas out for Game 2 of Stanley Cup Final
St. Louis Blues rookie center Robert Thomas will not be available for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final due to an undisclosed injury, coach Craig Berube announced Wednesday morning.
“He’s hurt,’’ Berube said.
According to Berube, Thomas’s status has “nothing to do’’ with the fact that he was on the receiving end of Bruins defenseman Torey Krug’s helmet-less hit in Game 1. After withstanding the hit, Thomas made his way to the bench and did not return to action for the final 10:19. Berube said he made the decision on Tuesday to sideline Thomas.
During morning skate, 23-year-old Robby Fabbri took Thomas’s place in the third line, alongside forwards Tyler Bozak and Patrick Maroon. Berube would not confirm if Fabbri would be inserted into the lineup for Game 2.
Fabbri, selected 21st overall by the Blues in the 2014 NHL Draft, has logged 66 minutes of ice time over eight games this postseason. He did not play in Game 1 against the Bruins, nor did he see action in the conference finals against the San Jose Sharks. In 32 regular-season games this year, Fabbri recorded two goals and four assists.
“He’s a tenacious player,’’ Berube said. “He’s quick, gets on the puck. He’s a competitive kid. He has the ability to score goals. We’ve seen that in the past from him. Those are the types of things we’ll look for if he’s in.’’
Regardless of Thomas’s replacement, Berube expressed confidence in Bozak and Maroon’s ability to adjust to the newcomer.
“Obviously, it’s a change for sure,’’ Berube said. “But these guys are veteran players that have been around for a long time. It’ll be fine. It’s going to be a different look for them. That’s all.’’
Berube also confirmed defenseman Vince Dunn remains out with an upper-body injury. Dunn has not played since Game 3 of the conference finals.
