Preview: Blues vs. Utah Hockey Club

When: Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. CT
Where: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App
Tickets: Online at ticketmaster.com

QUICK HITS

BLUES The St. Louis Blues (7-6-0) are looking to extend their two-game win streak when they face the Utah Hockey Club for the first time in franchise history on Thursday.

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With Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, goaltender Jordan Binnington moved to second all-time on the franchise list with 149 wins, surpassing his former teammate Jake Allen. With three more victories, Binnington will be the franchise’s winningest goaltender (152).

Forwards Oskar Sundqvist and Alexey Toropchenko scored their first goals of the season Tuesday to help out on offense. Jordan Kyrou netted his fourth of the season—and the eventual game-winner—marking the 17th game-winning goal of his career.

“We just have to grind wins out right now and get good goaltending, which we are,” Schenn said. “Everyone is stepping up right now and everyone’s filling the void every single night, and if we keep playing like that and then you get guys back, you set yourself up in a good spot.”

The Blues are 2-0 on the homestand so far with Thursday’s game against Utah and matchups against the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins still to go.

UTAH HC The Utah Hockey Club (5-5-3) is coming off its second loss in a row, falling to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night with a 3-0 score. Utah has lost its last five road games (0-3-2) heading into Thursday’s matchup in St. Louis.

Utah is in its inaugural season in the NHL after Ryan Smith purchased and relocated the Arizona Coyotes franchise in April. Coyotes players, draft picks and coaching staff all made the move to the team’s new home in Salt Lake City under Smith, who also owns the NBA’s Utah Jazz.

The club made waves in its first offseason, acquiring two-time Stanley Cup Champion Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade. Additionally, former Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo signed in Utah and brings veteran leadership.

Bortuzzo will be back in St. Louis for the first time since being traded last season. Part of the Blues’ Stanley Cup championship team in 2019, Bortuzzo will be honored with a tribute video in-game on Thursday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BLUES Captain Brayden Schenn set up Kyrou’s game-winner in the team’s 3-2 victory over the Lightning. In his 16^th season in the NHL, Schenn has accumulated 640 points (261 goals, 379 assists). He is just eight points shy of reaching 400 points as a Blue. The forward has appeared in 177 consecutive games dating back to Oct. 15, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the franchise.

UTAH HC Forward Clayton Keller is leading the club in points with 12 this season (six goals, six assists). The former No. 7 overall draft pick in 2016, the newly-minted captain and St. Louis native has totaled 430 career points (172 goals, 258 assists) in 533 games.

BLUE NOTES

• The Blues are 4-1-0 in their last five home games.
• Ryan Suter is expected to dress in his 1,458^th career game, moving him past Glen Wesley for 27^th all-time in NHL history, as well as eighth all-time among defensemen.
• Colton Parayko is expected to dress in his 673^rd career game, which will move him into a tie with David Perron for ninth on the Blues’ all-time franchise list.
• Since joining the Blues at the start of the 2019-20 season, Justin Faulk has recorded 42 goals, 131 assists and 173 points. All are the most among Blues defensemen.