Getting ‘Dunn’ to It
For his part, Dunn carries a purpose and thought process onto the rink for each power-play shift. He appears serious, just talking about his intentions as a power play QB.
“For me, it’s always just telling guys to just get open,” said Dunn at his locker recently. “Like being open is not necessarily just going to a quiet area. Being open is putting your stick on the ice behind someone, then me trying to pass it through them. I’m trying to create higher percentage chances against.”
What was Dunn thinking as he made the game-tying pass to Montour? The D-man gazes at mid-point, replaying it in his mind after sitting back from unlacing a skate.
“Monty’s calling for the puck,” said Dunn. “I’m just waiting for the play to develop. I have kind of a wobbling puck. I know as we move the puck over, there’s going to be a lot of bodies flying through. Monty usually just puts his head down and blasts it as hard as he can. I knew that we would probably be able to at least outnumber them underneath. So, if it didn’t go in, there was a good chance there was going to be a secondary chance. That was my thought process. I am always trying to upgrade the players around me and their shooting percentage.”
It doesn’t stop there for the 29-year-old Dunn, who prides himself on getting better each year as he embarks on his ninth NHL season. He approached the 2025-26 docket with some personal improvements in mind.
“I’ve been really looking to focus on my gaps [between him and approaching foes],” said Dunn. “Not pulling out of the offensive zone when we’ve turned the puck over is something that I’m really focusing on as well. I’m trying to have quiet feet on the [opposing] rush and just kind of absorbing guys into me, rather than trying to do too much without the puck, trying to chase guys around. I’m really working to turn down a lot of high-end plays off the [opposing] rush to make things a lot easier on the forwards coming back or the goalie having to make a save.”