It is a busy time in St. Louis. The Cardinals won a thriller on opening day on Thursday, St. Louis CITY SC won their first game last weekend, and the Battlehawks kick off their season this weekend. However, no one is forgetting about the St. Louis Blues. With three wins in a row, the Blues are managing to stay afloat in the playoff race. Their next game is a Saturday-night showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Let’s jump into the game preview and key storylines.
Blues’ Gameday Preview: Blues vs. Maple Leafs
This will be the second and final meeting of the season between the two teams. The Maple Leafs won the first game in November, winning in overtime on a goal by William Nylander.
The Blues lead the all-time series, 123-111-25-2.
Last Game
The Blues last played on Thursday, winning against the San Jose Sharks. It was a goaltender’s duel, with Joel Hofer making 24 saves for the Blues. Dylan Holloway provided the game-winning goal, scoring in overtime with just three seconds left.
- Dylan Holloway – Dalibor Dvorsky – Jimmy Snuggerud
- Jake Neighbours – Pavel Buchnevich – Jordan Kyrou
- Otto Stenberg – Pius Suter – Jonatan Berggren
- Alexey Toropchenko – Jack Finley – Nathan Walker
- Philip Broberg – Logan Mailloux
- Theo Lindstein – Colton Parayko
- Cam Fowler- Matthew Kessel/Justin Holl
- Joel Hofer/Jordan Binnington
There could be some lineup changes for Saturday. Robert Thomas missed Thursday’s game following an injury sustained on Tuesday. However, head coach Jim Montgomery listed the forward as day-to-day. Thomas’s availability could be a game-time decision. If he does play, Nathan Walker will likely leave the lineup.
Team Leaders
Thomas leads the Blues with 46 points, 30 assists, and a plus-14 rating. Kyrou’s 17 goals lead the team. The injured Tyler Tucker leads the Blues with 81 penalty minutes.
In goal, Hofer continues to lead the Blues in the three major categories. He has 19 wins, a 2.53 goals-against average (GAA), and a .912 save percentage (SV%).
Storyline #1 – Take Advantage of a Weakened Toronto Team
If I told you that this March 28 matchup between the Blues and Maple Leafs had playoff implications, but just for one team, you would think it would be the Maple Leafs, right? This is not the case. This season has not been kind to the team. Goaltending has struggled. Roster moves are rumored to be on the horizon. Health has been an issue, with the icing on the cake being Auston Matthews’ season-ending injury.
Related: Maple Leafs Reportedly Ready to Move Players Out This Summer
The Blues should not take the Maple Leafs lightly, as there are some playmakers who continue to perform despite the team’s down season. Nylander is approaching 70 points, and John Tavares is nearing 30 goals. Yet, this is a team the Blues should beat. Rarely do the Maple Leafs not pose a threat on the ice, but this is one of those times.
Storyline #2 – Blues’ Power Play vs. Maple Leafs’ Penalty Kill
The Maple Leafs may be having a rough go in 2025-26, but one thing that has not been is their penalty kill. The Leafs currently rank sixth in the NHL with an 82% success rate.
The Blues, meanwhile, currently rank 29th in the league in power-play efficiency with just a 16.4% success rate. Over their last ten games, the Blues have scored just two power-play goals. Despite the current three-game winning streak, the power play has been a weak spot. On Tuesday, the Blues went on a three-minute power play following a major called against Pierre-Luc Dubois (a two-minute roughing penalty was called on the Blues, lowering the amount of time on what normally would have been a five-minute power play). However, the Blues took a penalty just seconds after the power play began, essentially giving them no time on the man advantage.
If the Blues want to keep their momentum going, they need to get the power play going. If Thomas returns to the lineup, it will be a big help to the man advantage. Regardless, there is still plenty of talent aside from Thomas. If someone can break through on the power play, it could open the floodgates.
How to Watch/Listen
The game starts at 6:00 P.M. Central Time and can be seen on FanDuel Sports Midwest. Radio coverage can be heard on 101 ESPN.
If you are attending the game, have fun and bring home a winner! Be sure to check back with The Hockey Writers for more Blues and league-related content.
