The St. Louis Blues broke their usual stigma of having slow starts to road trips with a destructive 7-2 win over Ottawa the other night. Now, they travel to Minnesota, to face off against a Central Division rival for the first time in 2026-27.
There was a good bit of success against the Senators, and the hope is that it is the same result versus a very good Wild squad. Robert Thomas has yet to find some footing this season, but this could be the start of his streak as an X-factor in these games. Additionally, here are a few more to look out for.
Robert Thomas
Over his last seven games against the Wild, the captain has been one of the hottest players in this heated rivalry. He has two goals and five assists for seven points over that span.
This season has not gotten off on the right foot for Thomas, as he has failed to make much impact. The pressure could be getting to him, or it could just be a slow start, which is normal across his career. But, as we enter the seventh game of the 2026-27 season, enough is enough.
Mason McTavish
Mason McTavish is a hockey guy, and the Blues are very lucky to have him. It is very obvious that a change of scenery was needed for him from Anaheim, as he has been a fantastic addition to this team.
This will be his first iteration of playing the Wild as a member of the Blues, but he has four goals and four assists against Minnesota over 13 games. Can he add to that and keep his four-game point streak alive to start this season?
Another thing to note, if things keep going the way that they are, and the secondary scoring from McTavish, Connor McMichael, and Jonatan Berggren continues, there is a hard conversation to have amongst the first line. Changes could be made, and a complete swap can be in the cards here.
Adam Jiricek
It is always an amazing thing to watch as a young NHLer scores his first goal. Adam Jiricek didn’t take very long as he scored in the last game against Ottawa, and that should be the first of many.
This will be the first time he plays Minnesota in his young career, and there is another very good and young defenseman on the other side that he will have the pleasure of competing against, in Quinn Hughes. The Wild also have some fantastic forwards in Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, who will be attacking Jiricek’s inexperience all night long.
Let’s see what the rookies got.
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