St. Louis Blues Face New Jersey Devils in Thursday Night NHL Matchup

The St. Louis Blues are set to face the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 p.m. ET, marking the third game of a four-game road trip for the Blues. St. Louis enters the contest with a 7-7-1 record, while the Devils hold a 10-5-0 standing.

Goaltender Jordan Binnington is expected to start for the Blues, marking his first appearance since a 2-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on October 27. He will face off against Connor Hellebuyck, who has been a standout for New Jersey since joining the team in a trade last month. Hellebuyck has secured victories in all three of his starts with the Devils, maintaining a 1.95 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.

The matchup carries additional significance due to the history between the two netminders. Binnington and Hellebuyck have previously competed as adversaries in the NHL and on the international stage, most recently facing each other during the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

For the Blues, defenseman Colton Parayko is expected to return to the lineup after missing two games due to an upper-body injury sustained in a win against the Boston Bruins last week. His return will see Theo Lindstein scratched from the roster. Additionally, forward Aleksanteri Kaskimaki is slated to rejoin the lineup, replacing Jonatan Berggren, who will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season.

The Devils appear to be maintaining consistency in their lineup following their 4-3 shootout victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Reports from the team's morning skate indicate no significant changes to their forward lines or defensive pairings. Jack Hughes, who leads the team with 19 points, continues to anchor the second line alongside Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Bratt.

St. Louis is looking to rebound after a 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Forward Mason McTavish noted that the team must focus on improving their offensive pressure, stating that they need to focus on "getting to the net with our bodies and making it harder on their goalie." The Blues are currently averaging 3.00 goals per game this season.

New Jersey enters the game with momentum, having won six of their last seven contests. Following Thursday's game, the Devils are scheduled to begin a three-game road trip. Meanwhile, the Blues are aiming to stabilize their performance as they conclude their current road series.