Fabbri’s return from injuries gives Blues a playoff boost
It would have been impossible for Robby Fabbri to wonder if he just might not get back to being the player he once was.
This comeback trail for the St. Louis Blues winger has been littered with setbacks, many of which led to frustration. That’s a natural reaction when a player is forced to go under the knife twice to repair the same left knee and misses an entire season and change.
Things didn’t get any easier for Fabbri this year as he dealt with hip, groin and shoulder injuries. “I’m not going to sugar-coat it. It’s been a tough few years and a tough year this year,” Fabbri said on Friday. “That’s all washed away with where we are right now and things are all coming together.”
Fabbri found himself on the sidelines when these playoffs began, sitting out the first two games of the opening round series against Winnipeg before playing the final four games. Playing on the fourth line with Ivan Barbashev and Alex Steen, Fabbri used his speed effectively and provided some energy, leading head coach Craig Berube to leave him in the lineup when Round 2 began. And there was Fabbri, opening the scoring 5:57 into Game 1 by firing a wrister through the five-hole of Dallas Stars goalie Ben Bishop.
“A deep breath, a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Fabbri, asked to describe the feeling of seeing the red light go on for the first time since Nov. 6. “I knew it had been a while, I didn’t know it was 24 games. I didn’t want to look. At this time of year, it’s not about goals. I’m happy coming out of games doing the little things if it’s not getting on the scoreboard.”
Getting a fourth-line goal like that is an obvious bonus, especially in a series that figures to be as tight as this one with Dallas, with two teams committed to their respective defensive
structure. That means secondary scoring will be critical.
“The guy works so hard. He’s obviously been through some tough injuries over the years,” said Blues centre Tyler Bozak. “To work his way back and get a chance, really take advantage of it, (that was a) huge goal for us (Thursday) night. “Everyone was really happy to see him get that one and (he’s a) huge part of our team. To have a guy like that playing on the fourth line obviously makes your team a lot better.”
Fabbri, 23, was chosen by the
Blues in the first round (21st overall) of the 2014 NHL draft and he made an immediate impact as a rookie, producing 18 goals and 37 points in 72 games during the 2015-16 season. He was even better during the 2016 playoffs, tying Vladimir Tarasenko for the team scoring lead (15 points in 20 games) as the Blues reached the Western Conference final before being eliminated in six games by the San Jose Sharks.
Things were looking up for Fabbri, but on Feb. 4 of 2017, the speedy forward suffered a torn ACL, ending his season with 51 games played. Fabbri sat out this season’s first 10 games, making his season debut on Nov. 1. “You can’t change the past. The way I’ve thought through this whole thing is just take the opportunities I get and try to run with it,” said Fabbri. “Right now I’m just trying to build game by game. I’ve felt great about my skating and my power and my strength for a while now, which gave me confidence for when I finally got put in. It’s a big part of my game, so it’s nice to get back to that.”