The St. Louis Blues are scheduled to conclude their regular season against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday, April 16, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The matchup marks the fourth meeting between the teams, with the Blues seeking to even the season series currently led by Utah 2-1-0.
St. Louis enters the contest following a successful home stretch, securing three consecutive victories. During this period, the team recorded 13 goals in wins over the Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins, highlighted by a 7-5 victory against the latter according to nhl.com.
The Utah Mammoth recently clinched the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference after defeating Winnipeg 5-3 on Tuesday. This game serves as Utah’s final tune-up before they begin their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Rookie Jimmy Snuggerud has emerged as a key contributor for the Blues, recording 50 points and 21 goals this season. These figures represent the highest rookie totals for the franchise since 1991-92 and 2008-09, respectively, following his first career four-point game against Pittsburgh.
Defenseman Colton Parayko is expected to appear in his 800th career game during the Thursday night matchup. He will become only the third player in St. Louis Blues franchise history to reach this milestone, joining Bernie Federko and Barret Jackman.
Utah’s offense is led by Clayton Keller, who currently maintains a nine-game point streak with 18 points in that span. Keller leads the Mammoth with 86 points and recently became the 12th American in NHL history to achieve consecutive 60-assist seasons.
Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas both approach significant statistical milestones in the finale. Buchnevich needs three points to secure 50 points in each of his first five seasons with the club, while Thomas is one assist away from his fifth straight season with 40 assists and 60 points.
The Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, also reached a milestone this week by clinching a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs on Wednesday. The Blues currently hold a 3-4-0 all-time record against the Mammoth since the franchise relocated to Utah last season.