Blues Turn to Hofer Against Wild in Key Matchup

ST. LOUIS, MO — The St. Louis Blues will make one lineup change as they prepare to face the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center. Goaltender Joel Hofer will make his first start against the Wild, while veteran Jordan Binnington is expected to play against the Anaheim Ducks the following day.

Hofer replaces Binnington after he struggled in Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, allowing four goals on 19 shots before being relieved by Hofer midway through the third period. In his brief appearance, Hofer successfully saved both shots he faced. Head Coach Jim Montgomery explained his decision by citing the need for both goalies to rest and the specific matchup against the Wild.

“A little bit of success against certain teams, and then it’s also just making sure we’re giving enough rest for both,” Montgomery said. This matchup is crucial, with both teams jockeying for playoff positioning; the Blues currently trail the second Wild Card spot by two points.

The Blues have lost their last two games, falling to a 31-28-7 record this season. They hope to capitalize on their 16-14-4 road record with a morning result against Minnesota, who currently sits at 37-24-5.

In previous encounters this season, the Blues have struggled against the Wild, with Minnesota winning all three of their previous matchups, including a 6-4 victory on January 7. Headed into Saturday’s game, the Wild are seeking a season sweep of the Blues.

Montgomery is keeping his forward and defensive lines intact for the matchup. He mentioned the team’s focus areas for improvement, saying, “More speed on entries offensively, a better middle-lane drive, and we need to have more traffic at the net. Defensively, we’ve got to do a better job protecting the net-front.”

The Blues lineup features forwards Jake Neighbours, Robert Thomas, and Pavel Buchnevich on the first line, while Dylan Holloway, Brayden Schenn, and Jordan Kyrou round out the second. Mathieu Joseph joins Oskar Sundqvist and Zack Bolduc on the third line, and the fourth line consists of Alexey Toropchenko, Radek Faksa, and Nathan Walker. On defense, Cam Fowler and Nick Leddy, along with Philip Broberg and Justin Faulk, will join Ryan Suter and Tyler Tucker.

Meanwhile, the Wild are 4-5-1 in their last ten games and are battling for playoff position themselves. They currently occupy the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, with an eight-point lead over the Calgary Flames. Their success has been overshadowed this season by injuries, notably the absence of Kirill Kaprizov, who is nearing a return.

The game is set to begin at 8:00 pm EST, and fans can tune in through ESPN and local broadcasting channels, including 101 ESPN in St. Louis.