The St. Louis Blues opened their five-game homestand with a tight, hard-earned 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night, and Philip Broberg had his fingerprints all over it.
Jimmy Snuggerud got St. Louis on the board in the first period, Cole Perfetti answered for Winnipeg in the third, and Broberg delivered the decisive goal on the power play. Joel Hofer backed it up with 32 saves on 33 shots, while Stuart Skinner stopped 26 of 28 for the Jets.
Broberg was the night’s difference-maker from start to finish. He helped spark Snuggerud’s opening goal by moving the puck from the blue line, finding Dylan Holloway with a seam pass and helping create the scramble that ended with the puck deflecting off Snuggerud and in.
He kept pressing in the second period, too. On one shift, Broberg carried the puck into the zone himself, sliced through multiple Winnipeg defenders and created a dangerous chance that didn’t end in a goal but did draw a penalty and send the Blues back to the power play.
Then came the response St. Louis needed after Perfetti tied it in the third.
Robert Thomas found Broberg at the point, and Broberg ripped a one-timer past Skinner to make it 2-1. He finished with six shots on goal, two more attempts and more than 23 minutes of ice time.
The goalie's duel was just as important to the final result. Hofer was sharp all night, especially when Winnipeg kept pushing and putting pucks on net early.
He stayed composed after the Jets tied the game and held the line long enough for St. Louis to find the winner.
Skinner was strong on the other end as well. He turned aside several quality looks, including Broberg’s rush in the second period, and kept Winnipeg close even as the Blues started generating more pressure later in the game.
Special teams ended up tipping the balance. St.
Louis went 1-for-5 on the power play, but the lone conversion came at the perfect moment, with the game level at 1-1. That goal turned a tense night into a win.
The penalty kill matched it by going 3-for-3 and shutting down Winnipeg’s late chances, including a third-period kill that ended without the Jets getting a shot on goal. Aleksanteri Kaskimäki and Otto Stenberg also saw time on the penalty kill during that stretch.
The Blues continue the homestand Thursday, Oct. 22, against the Vegas Golden Knights at Enterprise Center. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CT.
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