The St. Louis Blues ended a two-game shutout streak in emphatic fashion Thursday night, scoring four unanswered goals after falling behind early to defeat the Boston Bruins 4-1 at Enterprise Center.
The win improved the Blues to 6-6-1 and moved them into playoff position in the Central Division. Boston, which had its eight-game point streak snapped in a loss to Carolina on Tuesday, dropped to 9-4-1 and finished its brief two-game road trip without a victory.
Boston struck first at 5:28 of the opening period when rookie James Hagens tipped a Casey Mittelstadt centering pass for his fifth goal of the season. Mittelstadt created the chance by intercepting a clearing attempt from Blues goaltender Joel Hofer behind the net.
The lead lasted barely 10 minutes. Just four seconds into a power play after Charlie McAvoy was whistled for interference, Jimmy Snuggerud buried a one-timer from Philip Broberg and Robert Thomas to tie the game at 15:43. The quick strike gave the Blues life after being held scoreless for more than two full games.
St. Louis took control in the second period. At 5:17, Broberg wristed a shot from the slot that beat Jeremy Swayman for the game-winner, his third of the season, with assists from Connor McMichael and Dylan Holloway. Robert Thomas then extended the advantage at 12:08, walking into open ice off a neutral-zone turnover and beating Swayman with a wrister from the slot for his second goal of the year. Justin Barron picked up the assist.
Jake Neighbours sealed the outcome at 12:42 of the third on another power-play goal, finishing a rebound off a Broberg shot just seconds after Morgan Geekie took a tripping penalty. Broberg and Thomas each finished with a goal and two assists, while Hofer stopped 31 of 32 shots for a .969 save percentage.
Despite being outshot 32-18, the Blues converted efficiently, going 2-for-3 on the power play while Boston went 0-for-2. The Bruins generated volume but could not sustain offensive pressure after the first period, as turnovers and defensive breakdowns allowed St. Louis to pull away under coach Jim Montgomery.
For a Blues team searching for offensive consistency after consecutive shutouts, the balanced scoring and strong goaltending provided a timely response. The victory capped a five-game homestand and gave St. Louis momentum heading into a road trip that begins Saturday in Detroit.
