The St. Louis Blues host the Boston Bruins tonight at Enterprise Center in the finale of a five-game homestand, seeking to end a two-game scoring drought and finish the stretch with a winning record.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CT, with the game available on Blue Note+ and 101 ESPN.
The Blues (5-6-1, 11 points, sixth in the Central) enter after consecutive home shutouts, the first time that has happened since November 2018. Most recently, they fell 2-0 to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday despite generating a season-high 46 shots on goal. Captain Robert Thomas noted afterward that the team controlled large stretches of the game but simply could not finish.
Boston (9-3-1, 19 points) arrives atop the Atlantic Division and ranks among the league’s best in both goals for per game (3.77, fourth) and goals against per game (2.15, second). The Bruins are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and remain fully healthy. They swept the season series against St. Louis last year by identical 5-2 scores.
The Blues will wear their 2019 royal blue alternate jerseys for the first time this season. Projected lines have Jake Neighbours skating with Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud on the top unit, Pavel Buchnevich with Mason McTavish and Jonatan Berggren, and Dylan Holloway with Dalibor Dvorsky and Connor McMichael. Philip Broberg pairs with Brandon Carlo on the top defensive pairing. Joel Hofer is expected to start in goal, with Jordan Binnington as the backup.
Player to Watch: Philip Broberg
The Örebro, Sweden, native has emerged as a workhorse on the Blues blue line. Broberg has eclipsed 23 minutes of ice time in four of his last five games and collected three points (two goals, one assist) during that stretch. On Tuesday against Montreal he tied a single-game career high with six shots on goal—the second time in his last four contests he has reached that total. Through 12 games he has two goals and four assists while leading the team in average time on ice.
For Boston, David Pastrnak continues to drive the offense (seven goals, 18 points), while Jeremy Swayman (7-2-1, 2.19 GAA, .921 save percentage) is projected to start. Elias Lindholm enters on a three-game point streak and centers a third line featuring Casey Mittelstadt and rookie James Hagens.
Looking Ahead
A win would give the Blues a 3-2 mark on the homestand before they hit the road for games against the Detroit Red Wings (Oct. 31, noon CT), New York Rangers (Nov. 3), and New Jersey Devils (Nov. 5). Head coach Jim Montgomery and players are available for media at 10:30 a.m. today at the Enterprise Center.
