The St. Louis Blues head into Delta Center on Thursday night looking to build on a much-needed win and capitalize on a depleted Utah Mammoth lineup. Fresh off a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings that snapped a three-game skid, the Blues (8-8-2) face a Central Division rival that enters on a three-game losing streak of its own and is missing several key pieces.
Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. CT at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The Blues will look to improve on a 3-6-1 road record, while Utah (10-8-1) returns home after a difficult stretch away from Delta Center.
Tuesday’s win at Enterprise Center provided a timely boost. Jimmy Snuggerud scored the game-winner with just over four minutes left for his team-leading 10th goal of the season, and Joel Hofer turned aside 30 of 32 shots. Coach Jim Montgomery praised the group’s strong first 40 minutes and overall puck management. Pius Suter also reached 100 career goals in the victory.
Utah’s situation looks far more complicated. The Mammoth dropped a 5-3 decision in Las Vegas on Wednesday, their third straight loss, and are playing the second night of a back-to-back. More concerning is the injury report. Dylan Guenther has been placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss two to four weeks. Logan Cooley (upper body) is day-to-day and sat out the Vegas game. Nick Schmaltz left that contest with a lower-body injury and is also day-to-day. Defensemen John Marino and Nate Schmidt are on injured reserve as well.
Those absences remove significant offensive firepower. Cooley has been one of Utah’s top scorers this season, and Guenther has contributed regularly. Clayton Keller, who has 25 points (5 goals, 20 assists) through 19 games and remains on a strong run, will be asked to carry even more of the load. The Missouri native has historically been productive against the Blues.
Goaltending could also tilt the matchup. Hofer has been steady for St. Louis with a 2.33 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in 13 starts. Utah’s tandem of Karel Vejmelka and Sebastian Cossa has struggled, with both sporting goals-against averages above 3.00 and save percentages around .870.
The teams split their four meetings last season, with the Blues winning the most recent matchup 5-3 behind Robert Thomas’ second career hat trick. Thomas enters with a quiet three-game point streak and has produced well against Utah historically. Jimmy Snuggerud’s recent scoring surge and the top line of Dylan Holloway, Thomas, and Snuggerud give St. Louis a capable offensive group, even if the overall attack ranks near the bottom half of the league in goals per game.
Special teams present a clear contrast. Utah boasts one of the league’s best power plays (36.5 percent), but its penalty kill ranks near the bottom. The Blues’ power play sits around the league average, yet their penalty kill has been one of the stronger units. Staying out of the box and limiting Utah’s opportunities will be important.
This is the first meeting of the 2026-27 season between the clubs. A win would give the Blues consecutive victories and a chance to gain ground in a crowded Central Division. After this game, St. Louis returns home for a stretch that includes 10 of its next 12 contests at Enterprise Center, so points on the road remain valuable.
With Utah shorthanded and playing on consecutive nights, the Blues have a realistic opportunity to continue the momentum from Tuesday. Execution in the defensive zone and timely scoring from Thomas, Snuggerud, and the supporting cast will likely decide whether St. Louis leaves Salt Lake City with two points.
