Blues end road trip with 5-2 loss to Predators

Matthew DeFranks, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Oct 17, 2026

Published in Hockey

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The St. Louis Blues finished their three-game road trip with a 5-2 loss on Saturday night against the Predators in Nashville, Tenn.

Philip Broberg and Jimmy Snuggerud (power play) scored for the Blues, who dropped to 3-4-1 on the season. Jordan Binnington made 19 saves.

Jonathan Marchessault, Filip Forsberg, Adam Edstrom, Ryan O'Reilly and Jack Drury scored for the Predators.

Nashville carried a 3-2 lead into the third period, and goals by O'Reilly and Drury put the Blues away for good. The Blues return home to host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

Out in front again

For the sixth time in eight games this season, the Blues scored the first goal, this time when Broberg scored at 6:21 of the first period. Mason McTavish disrupted a Predators exit out of the zone, and then Broberg did the rest, waltzing through the middle of the ice to score his first goal of the season.

It was just the second goal this season scored by a Blues defenseman. Adam Jiricek's first NHL goal on Tuesday in Ottawa was the first.

Broberg had another prime chance to score with about 13 1/2 minutes left in the third period, cutting across the crease on his backhand but his attempt was foiled.

In the six games that the Blues have scored first, they are just 2-3-1.

The Blues lead turned into a deficit by the end of the first period as Nashville scored twice to carry a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Marchessault scored on a penalty shot at 8:40 of the first period, beating Binnington five-hole. Marchessault was granted a penalty shot on a rarely-seen call, as Binnington was whistled for throwing his stick at the puck on a poke check that slipped out of his hand. At the time, the Blues were trying to kill a tripping penalty on Jiricek.

If any defending player throws an object at the puck in the defensive zone, it results in a penalty shot.

Forsberg scored less than four minutes later finishing on a wraparound at the far post.

Give and take

Both teams scored a special teams goal in the second period, and did so within 31 seconds of each other.

Edstrom scored a shorthanded goal for the Predators 7:05 into the second period to make it 3-1, finishing in tight after Roman Josi did the heavy lifting by carrying the puck through the neutral zone and to the slot. As Josi made his way through the offensive zone, he drew McTavish, and Edstrom was open in front of Binnington.

Snuggerud responded with his own goal on the edge of the goal mouth, finishing a nifty pass from Jake Neighbours, cutting the lead to 3-2.

Johnston out

Blues forward Ross Johnston missed Saturday's game due to a lower-body injury suffered on Thursday in Minnesota. St. Louis did welcome back forward Pavel Buchnevich, who missed one game due to the birth of his child earlier this week.

The movement up front, plus the healthy scratch of Zach Dean, meant Saturday was the first time this season that the Blues dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Theo Lindstein returned to the blue line have he was scratched in the last four games in favor of Justin Barron.

Barron played his first game back in Nashville after the Blues claimed him off waivers from the Predators at the end of training camp.

Even with the rotation of 11 forwards, the Blues used three line combinations more than others on Saturday. Buchnevich joined the top line of Robert Thomas and Snuggerud. The dynamic second line remained untouched with Connor McMichael, McTavish and Jonatan Berggren. Pius Suter centered Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours on the third line.

That left Dalibor Dvorsky and Dylan Peterson as the least-used forwards for the Blues.

On defense, Adam Jiricek's minutes were cut as Barron primarily skated with Philip Broberg. Jiricek was also replaced on the power play by Broberg.

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