The St. Louis Blues arrive at Prudential Center tonight looking to snap a brief skid and inject some consistency into a season that has hovered near .500. Facing a New Jersey Devils club that has found its stride behind new goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, the Blues (7-7-1) need a stronger five-on-five effort and cleaner special teams after dropping a 3-1 decision to the New York Rangers earlier in the week.
That loss at Madison Square Garden again denied St. Louis a three-game winning streak, a recurring early-season pattern. Joel Hofer turned aside 28 shots and kept the game close, but the Blues managed just one goal (a late Pius Suter tally) and went 0-for-6 on the power play. Coach Jim Montgomery has pointed to the need for players to consistently get to the hard areas in front of the net. Forward Mason McTavish echoed that sentiment after the Rangers game, stressing the importance of making life more difficult on opposing goalies with bodies and net-front presence.
The Devils (10-5-0) present a stiff test. They enter having won six of their last seven, most recently a 4-3 shootout victory over the Edmonton Oilers in which Jack Hughes scored twice. Hellebuyck, acquired from Winnipeg in a major October trade after requesting a move, has been unbeaten in his early starts with New Jersey, posting a .900 save percentage and 1.95 goals-against average across three wins. He appears the likely starter tonight, giving the Devils a Vezina-caliber presence between the pipes alongside veteran Jake Allen.
For the Blues, projected lines feature a familiar top unit of Dylan Holloway, Robert Thomas, and Jimmy Snuggerud. Holloway leads the team in points (12) and assists (9), while Snuggerud paces the club with eight goals. The second line of Connor McMichael, Mason McTavish, and Jonatan Berggren, along with a third unit that includes Jake Neighbours, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Pavel Buchnevich, will need to generate more sustained pressure. Defensively, Philip Broberg and Brandon Carlo form the top pair, with Cam Fowler and others filling in behind. Colton Parayko remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury and could return, which would stabilize the blue line further. Joel Hofer is the expected starter in goal after his solid outing in New York.
St. Louis averages 3.00 goals both for and against this season, ranking near the middle of the league in most categories while carrying a strong penalty kill (around 84-85 percent). The power play has been more inconsistent. New Jersey, meanwhile, has been efficient at home and dangerous when it scores three or more goals. The first meeting between the clubs this season arrives with the Devils holding a clear edge in recent form and goaltending stability.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) at Prudential Center. Blues fans can watch on STLNHL, Blue Note+, and ABC 32. A road win would push St. Louis above .500 in points and provide momentum heading into Saturday’s matinee in Nashville. Against a Devils team that has added elite goaltending to its skilled forward group, the Blues will need Hofer to be sharp and their forwards to convert territorial play into actual scoring chances if they hope to leave Newark with two points.
