The Blues finally got the kind of night they’d been waiting for from the players who are supposed to drive the offense, and it made all the difference in a 5-3 comeback win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis.
For four games, St. Louis had been stuck with an uncomfortable truth: Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud had not done nearly enough on the scoresheet, and the team’s 1-2-1 start reflected it.
Against Columbus, that changed in a hurry. Those four were involved in nearly everything that mattered, finishing with three goals and seven points combined.
It looked shaky early. The Blues fell behind 2-0 after the first period and had not given the building much reason to believe a turnaround was coming.
Then Ross Johnston stepped in and changed the temperature of the night, dropping the gloves with Mathieu Oliver just 21 seconds into the second period. The crowd responded, and so did St.
Louis.
Dylan Holloway was right in the middle of the surge. He assisted on all three Blues goals in the second period, first setting up Jake Neighbours at 6:10, then helping create back-to-back goals for Snuggerud.
That flurry put St. Louis in front 3-2 at 12:32.
Snuggerud’s second goal of the game gave him a team-leading third goal of the season and also handed Thomas his first assist of the season. It was a small detail on the stat sheet, but for a player trying to break out of a quiet stretch, small details can matter a lot.
That’s especially true for this group. Thomas, now officially the captain after taking over in the offseason, Holloway, who signed a five-year extension, and Buchnevich, who has seen his numbers slip, are the players St.
Louis needs producing regularly. When they’re not, the rest of the lineup can look like it’s pressing just a bit too hard.
Columbus didn’t disappear, though. Cole Sillinger tied it 3-3 early in the third period, and the Blues were once again staring at a game that could have slipped away.
Instead, Jonatan Berggren answered with the goal that won it, burying a wrist shot past Jet Greaves at 9:33 after passes from Mason McTavish and Colton Parayko.
It doesn’t erase the larger issues. One strong night won’t make the early slump go away, and tougher tests are coming. But for now, Thomas has his first point, Holloway and Snuggerud look like they’re starting to find themselves, and the Blues head into a three-game road trip back at .500.
In Other News...
Blues Just Gave Dylan Peterson A Real Chance To Stick
The Blues added another layer of intrigue to their forward group by recalling Dylan Peterson from Springfield, giving the 2020 third-round pick a chance to show he belongs at the NHL level. Peterson has spent his season with the Thunderbirds in the American Hockey League, and now he is in position to see how his game translates against the faster pace and tighter margins of the league he has been working toward.
Jim Montgomery has already offered a glimpse of how the Blues view Petersons fit, pointing to the way he plays and the kind of responsibilities he can handle if he gets into the lineup. For a player still trying to carve out a place in St. Louis, the opportunity matters as much as the role, and the next step is whether the organization decides to put him over the boards in a game that would mean a first NHL appearance. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Suddenly Have A Fourth Line Question Fans Will Notice
The Blues made a familiar sort of depth move on Monday, recalling winger Dylan Peterson from Springfield as they continue to sort through their forward group. Peterson has been developing in the AHL after entering the organization as a 2020 draft pick, and his profile is simple enough to understand: big, physical and built to bring some edge when the lineup needs it.
For St. Louis, the immediate interest is how Peterson fits into the fourth line and whether he can help steady things with a more rugged presence. He has spent time sharpening his game at the pro level after four seasons at Boston University, so this is less about a surprise promotion than another chance for the Blues to lean on a player whose style can matter in short bursts. [Read more 🡒]