Welcome to another St. Louis Blues’ Gameday Preview. The road trip continues, as does the Blues’ stay in New York. Next, they head to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Blues battle the New Jersey Devils. Let’s jump into the preview for Thursday’s game.
Blues’ Gameday Preview: Blues at Devils
The Blues and Devils are meeting for the first time this season. Last season, the Devils swept the season series. It was the first time they had done so since 2021-22.
The Blues lead the all-time series, 64-44-14.
Last Game: Loss in the Big Apple
The Blues last played on Tuesday, falling to the New York Rangers, 3-1. The Blues played sloppily and turned the puck over multiple times. The power play had multiple chances to get back in the game but was unsuccessful.
Projected Lineup (Subject to Change)
- Dylan Holloway – Robert Thomas – Jimmy Snuggerud
- Connor McMichael – Mason McTavish – Jonatan Berggren
- Jake Neighbours – Dalibor Dvorsky – Pavel Buchnevich
- Alexey Toropchenko – Pius Suter – Ross Johnston
- Philip Broberg – Brandon Carlo
- Cam Fowler – Adam Jiricek
- Theo Lindstein – Justin Barron
- Joel Hofer/Jordan Binnington
Defenseman Colton Parayko has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. He is considered day-to-day. If he can return on Thursday, Lindstein will be removed from the lineup.
Team Leaders
Holloway leads the Blues in points (12) and assists (nine). Snuggerud continues to lead with eight goals. Carlo remains the leader with 19 penalty minutes. Barron, the season’s pleasant surprise, leads with a plus-5 rating.
Between the pipes, Hofer continues to lead with six wins and a 2.39 goals-against average.
Storyline #1: Devils Are Hot
The Devils have been playing great hockey lately. They have won six of their last seven games. Of those six wins, five have seen the team score four or more goals. Only three of those games have seen the opponent score three or more goals. The Devils are also 6-2-0 this season on home ice.
Jack Hughes has been leading the charge. He is coming off a two-goal performance on Tuesday. The Blues will have their hands full against the gold-medal-winning hero from last season’s Olympics.
Storyline #2: Familiar Foe
The Blues will see Connor Hellebuyck for the first time since the goaltender was traded to the Devils. He is 3-0-0 so far with his new team.
The Blues scored plenty of goals against Hellebuyck during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Michigan native has played well against the Blue Note throughout his career. In 27 games, he is 18-7-2 with a 1.99 GAA and a .929 save percentage.
Which Hellebuyck do we see on Thursday? The version the Blues chased three times in 2025, or the former Hart Trophy winner?
Storyline #3: Stay Out of the Box
The Devils’ power play is struggling this season, ranking in the bottom half of the NHL. However, the Blues do not need to give them any opportunities to improve that. Furthermore, in games where the Blues have fewer penalty minutes than their opponent, they are 4-1-0.
The Blues have a recipe to leave New Jersey on a high note. It starts by staying out of the box and taking advantage of when the Devils go there themselves. They certainly cannot afford to go 0-6 on the power play like they did on Tuesday.
How to Watch
The puck drops at 6:00 P.M. Central Time. You can watch it on Blue Note+ and listen on 101 ESPN.
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