Blues will get defenseman Vince Dunn back for Game 4
"We’re going to get a big player back."
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn will re-enter the lineup for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, coach Craig Berube announced Monday at Enterprise Center.
“I think he’ll be fine,’’ Berube said. “He’s ready to play, he’s 100 percent, he wants to go, and he wants to play. We’re going to get a big player back.’’
Dunn, who has been sidelined since taking a puck to the face in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, skated in place of veteran Robert Bortuzzo and alongside Carl Gunnarsson during St. Louis’s morning session. The 22-year-old Ontario native noted that there is still discomfort in his mouth, but he expressed an eagerness to return to the ice.
“It feels like I have a mouthguard in at all times,’’ Dunn said. “There’s a lot of things going on in my mouth right now. It’s not the easiest to be eating things.
“Other than that, I can’t really complain. I’m here in the Finals. It’s very special to me. It’s very special to all of us.’’
The focus of Dunn’s first couple of shifts will be on getting settled, before he looks to be more aggressive. Berube praised his ability to move the puck and help the team transition from defense to offense. In 78 regular-season games this year, Dunn tallied 12 goals and 23 assists.
Dunn will not wear any additional protective gear. He did try using a face shield but ditched it because it impaired his vision.
“It’s going to be intense right away, but he’ll get into it,’’ Berube said. “He’ll make good plays on the puck like he always does. I expect the same Vince Dunn we’ve seen.’’
“The more I practiced, the faster I was catching up to things,’’ said Dunn. “I got to feel like myself out there. I want to be able to be effective. I want to be the player that I was when I was taken out.’’
The time away has been challenging for Dunn, who played in each of the Blues’ playoff games before going down. He said he doesn’t know how much weight he’s lost because he hasn’t stepped on a scale, but he has tried his best to maintain his conditioning and as balanced a diet as possible.
“You start to get a little uncomfortable when you’re away from the rink for so long and not in your routine,’’ Dunn said. “It’s nice to be back, back with the guys and back in the dressing room.’’
Sanford stays in lineup
Forward Zach Sanford, who registered an assist in his Stanley Cup Final debut in Game 3, will remain in the lineup, in place of Robby Fabbri.
“I thought he had a real good game,’’ Berube said. “I thought that was a real good line last game for us. I thought he was strong on the puck. He’s got good hands, he’s got real good puck skills, and I thought that he had composure with the puck and he moved his feet.’’
