Preview: Blues at Penguins

When: Thursday, March 13 at 6 p.m. CT
Where: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network
Listen: 101 ESPN, Blues App

QUICK HITS

BLUES The St. Louis Blues (31-27-7) closed out the first leg of their six-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.

Down their top two defensemen and on the second night of a back-to-back, the Blues fought hard to earn a point in regulation and keep pace in the Western Conference Wild Card race. Nick Leddy scored for the Blues and Joel Hofer had a strong night in net, making 21 saves.

Head Coach Jim Montgomery was proud of his group's "gutsy effort," praising the way they fought back in tough circumstances.

"The blocked shots, the sacrificing for each other, the screen by (Zack) Bolduc on the Leddy goal," Montgomery said. "I mean, that's winning hockey. We just keep playing like this, we'll keep getting good results."

The team went 2-1-1 on the opening portion of their trip with stops in Dallas, Anaheim and two games in Los Angeles. It continued their recent stretch of impressive play, moving to 6-1-2 since the break. They have a +11 goal differential in that span and have outshot opponents 243-219.

Following a few days of rest and practice back in St. Louis, the Blues return to the road for two more games. The team will visit Pittsburgh on Thursday and Minnesota on Saturday before closing out the week with a home matchup vs. Anaheim.

The Blues will remain without defenseman Colton Parayko, who was injured March 5 and will be sidelined for six weeks. Defenseman Cam Fowler, who missed Saturday's game for the birth of his second child, has rejoined the team for their upcoming trip.

PENGUINS After losing four in a row, the Pittsburgh Penguins (26-31-10) are on the upswing with two consecutive victories.

On Tuesday they earned two points with a 3-2 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Captain Sidney Crosby scored twice in regulation before Erik Karlsson ended the game in extra time.

It's been a difficult season for the Penguins, who rank 27th in the League and second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. General Manager Kyle Dubas was active leading up to and at the 2025 Trade Deadline, making six trades to position the team for the future.

Pittsburgh acquired a number of draft picks, along with forwards Connor Dewar, Max Graham, Tommy Novak and Chase Stillman and defenseman Conor Timmins. They traded away forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Bunting, Cody Glass and Jonathan Gruden and defenseman Vincent Desharnais.

Thursday's tilt against St. Louis will be the second game in a five-game homestand for the Penguins. They are 15-13-5 at home.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

BLUES Nick Leddy scored the Blues' lone goal on Saturday. The defenseman has stepped up in the absence of Colton Parayko, recording two points (one goal, one assist) and a +4 plus/minus rating in the last two games. They are the first points of the season for the 33-year-old, who was sidelined for almost four months with an injury. Overall, Leddy has registered 413 points (74 goals, 339 assists) in 1,026 career games.

PENGUINS Forward Sidney Crosby scored both goals for the Penguins in their win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. It was the second consecutive game that the captain scored two goals, and he has eight points (five goals, three assists) in his last five games. In his 20th NHL season, Crosby continues to produce at an elite level, registering 70 points (23 goals, 47 assists) in 65 games this year.

BLUE NOTES

• The Blues went 1-1-0 against Pittsburgh last season, with each team winning at home. Overall, St. Louis is 3-4-2 in its last nine games against the Penguins.
• After Thursday's game, the Blues will play their next six games - and seven of their next eight - against Western Conference opponents.
• The Blues' eight wins since Feb. 2 share sixth in the NHL (1. Tampa Bay, 10), while their 19 points shares 2nd in the NHL (1. Tampa Bay, 20).
• Forward Jordan Kyrou is expected to dress in his 400th career game on Thursday.
• Jim Montgomery earned his 200th career win as a head coach on March 1 in his 336th game, becoming the sixth-fastest head coach in NHL history to reach the milestone. The Blues are 22-15-6 under Montgomery since he took over on Nov. 25.