Blues put enforcer in the line up for Game 1!

Well this is certainly one way to get the attention of the opposition.

The St. Louis Blues did not hold your traditional pregame morning skate today ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference Final and as a result there was a lot of mystery regarding what line up changes could or would be made by the Blues ahead of tonight's contest. As it turns out we now have confirmation that there will in fact be one significant change to the roster, and one that will almost certainly raise a few eyebrows on the San Jose Sharks side of the equation this evening.

According to an official announcement from the St. Louis Blues organization veteran defenseman Carl Gunnarsson will be out for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final due to a lower body injury. No update on the status of Gunnarsson has been provided beyond that but we do know that stepping in to replace him will be St. Louis Blues enforcer Robert Bortuzzo. The massive Blues defenseman has a reputation as one of the National Hockey League's tough customers and it will be very interesting to see how much his physicality will play a role in tonight's contest.

As exciting as the prospect of Bortuzzo being unleashed in a playoff series may be, I have no doubt that he will be under strict orders from head coach Craig Berube to keep things as clean as possible for Game 1. As great as it is to send a message and have a physical edge on your opponents getting yourself into penalty trouble is a great way to give up games early in a series, and that is something no team wants to do.

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