Perunovich likely to make home debut this season vs. Coyotes

Perunovich -- knock on wood -- has been healthy throughout this past year and into training camp, but it's been tough sledding upon getting into the lineup this season, playing in just two games.

But the left-handed power-play specialist will draw back in for the first time since Oct. 27 when the Blues (5-5-1) host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday to close out a four-game homestand.

"The injuries are on me. Not really tough there being patient," Perunovich said Wednesday after practice at Centene Community Ice Center. "Yeah it sucks if you haven't played a lot of hockey in the last few years. Patience is the last thing you want to hear. I've heard that throughout rehab, throughout the whole process about being patient. But whatever the team needs, obviously the team comes first, I trust them and that's what I'm doing is being patient.

"'Army' and 'Chief,' they've talked, they've kept me in the loop about being patient just kind of where my head should be at and all that stuff. A lot of respect to that so I'm not just sitting here kind of in the dark with everything. That was the main thing is be patient. I'm just going to keep being patient.

"Yeah, I guess that's kind of accurate. I haven't played a lot in the last few years and the only way to do that is to start playing some games. Hopefully I can get some games in here and stay in."

He doesn't have to be patient no more, at least for one game.

The Blues are mired in a 1-for-28 start to the season on the power play, which is dead-last in the league (3.6 percent), and Perunovich, who was paired with Marco Scandella at practice, was quarterbacking the second unit with Justin Faulk, Jakub Vrana, Brandon Saad and Kevin Hayes.

"Obviously one of his strengths is power play and puck movement and things like that," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "We need that right now."

That holds true, especially after a 5-2 loss against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday in which the Blues were 0-for-1 with the man advantage and have had just the one power play the past two games.

"Coming out of camp, we had our guys that we were going with," Berube said. "He got a couple games there with seven 'D.' I know it's not a lot of ice time, but tomorrow will be different with six 'D.'"

The word on Perunovich, who has six assists in the regular-season and four more in seven playoff games, is that he has to continue to work hard in practice and bide his time to get in.

"I think it's just part of being a pro, come to the rink every day like you're playing and trying to get better," Perunovich said. "That's a big part of it, trying to get better every day so when your time is called, you're as prepared as you can be."

Perunovich has had -- at least on the surface -- a great attitude about the whole process. He should be entering into his best years as an NHL defenseman in his mid-20s but has to feel like he's still earning his way, and to a certain degree, he is.

"I think I've got to earn it still," he said. "I haven't done much in my pro career. The past is the past and I think that's the big thing, nothing's really handed to you. Personally too, I don't feel I've earned it, so hopefully just take a bunch of baby steps and try to earn this process and then solidify a spot."

Needless to say, the mental mindset has to have been tested, from going through having surgery on his left shoulder with a torn left labrum in February of 2021, then in in March 2022, surgery on his left wrist and then in September of 2022, he fractured his left clavicle in a preseason game in Chicago.

"Yeah, but a lot of that stuff is very mental in sports, out of sports, in life," Perunovich said. "You've just got to try and be as strong as you can. I have a good group around me, I have a good family. I'm very fortunate to be where I am and with who brought me up. It definitely helped being able to talk to them and young guys on the team here too and just kind of get away from the rink and relax. I try not to think about it too much.

"You could say I definitely had some tough years before. I think definitely maturity coming into one of these positions knowing, so yeah, it definitely helps on the mental side and the patience side and all that."

The first order of business, should the Blues get the opportunities, is try and infuse some life into a dormant power play.

"I think just try and not think about it and play my game," Perunovich said. "That's been one of my biggest assets in my career is being able to run a power play. When you have guys around you that are good, it makes it a lot easier and I think we have a lot of talent on the team, a lot of skill guys. Hopefully don't try and do too much and just let everything come naturally."

That has to be his mindset playing the game as a whole, right?

"There's a fine line between that whole thought process and everything," Perunovich said. "There's a million different ways you can think about it. I guess my main thing is to just go out there, play my game and have fun while I'm doing it and then everything kind of works out itself. That's my main thing is just go have fun and enjoy what I'm doing.

"Hopefully I can go out there, have a real good game. ... I'm very excited."

Perunovich will certainly be playing with a heavy heart after attending the memorial service and celebration of life on Monday of fellow Hibbing, Minnesota native Adam Johnson, who was tragically killed by a skate blade playing in England on Oct. 29.

"That was tough," Perunovich said with some emotion. "He was my role model growing up. I was on the tennis team with him, summer skates, golf tournaments, hockey tournaments. Definitely tough and then once I got back home, all my family and friends, another wave of emotion, being able to talk to them about it. Tough stuff man, nice to be home. Also good to be back."

* NOTES -- Perunovich appears set to replace Tyler Tucker in the lineup on Thursday, and there could also be one other change with Nikita Alexandrov coming in for veteran Oskar Sundqvist.

Alexandrov, who has also played just two games, was taking center reps between Sammy Blais and Jake Neighbours, but Berube wouldn't comfirm, only saying that there's no injury Sundqvist is dealing with.

"No, Sunny's fine other than bumps and bruises and things like that," Berube said. "I just wanted 'Niki' to take all the reps in the middle today."

When asked if Alexandrov would go in, Berube said, "Maybe, I'm not sure yet."