The St. Louis Blues have gotten off to a so-so start, and this current five-game homestand can make or break the season. Vegas is rolling into town as the premier offensive unit in the NHL, and this will be the Blues' toughest test of the season.
Looking up and down the statsheet leading into this game, there is one particular one that stands out. As this season pertains to an extra two games, franchise records could be in jeopardy with six extra periods of play.
For Jake Neighbours, there is a chance here for him to tie, or if he is hungry enough, to break a franchise record set by Nathan Walker back in 2024-25. With 30 hits through nine games, No. 63 is on pace for 280 hits this season, which is the same number that Walker did two seasons ago.
Can he do it, and why is it so important that he does?
Neighbours is the heartbeat of the Blues
Neighbours has been a wrecking ball since entering the NHL in 2021-22. From the get-go, that Blues "rough and tough" mentality was a perfect connection for him, as this is his playstyle. Even at the WHL level with the Edmonton Oil Kings, he was described as a "puck hound", and that hasn't changed.
His ability to be a hitting machine is exactly what this team needs with a seriously injured fourth line. Alexey Toropchenko went out with an injury in the very first game of the season, followed by Ross Johnston just a few games ago. Now, it is Pius Suter manning the line with whomever General Manager Alexander Steen decides to call up from Springfield, and is currently Aleksanteri Kaskimäki and Otto Stenberg.
Neighbours has to be a playmaker and a checker on his line with Dalibor Dvorsky and Pavel Buchnevich. H has been, with three goals, two assists for five points, as well as those team-leading 30 hits.
Setting the record
This record of 280 hits by Walker two seasons ago is a breakable one. He has been averaging 3.33 hits per game, and if he does that for the rest of the season, he will be at 280 on the dot. With key matchups in the Central Division at the end of the season, expect him to completely shatter it.
Even if there is a case of it being two extra games, that it shouldn't count, Neighbours will likely hit it well before the 82nd game. He has been a nuisance for the other team in all nine games so far this season, and that should continue in droves going forward.
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