Jake Neighbours, St. Louis Blues (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Blues’ Incredible Streak Continues With Overtime Win Over Penguins

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Zach Alvarado | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 11:03 PM ET

The red hot St. Louis Blues (42-28-7) were back on home ice for the second of their three-game homestand as they hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins (30-34-12) Thursday night. Despite blowing a two-goal lead late in the third period, the Blues extended their win streak to 11 games with a 5-4 overtime win.

Joel Hofer made 24 saves for his fourth-straight win. Tristan Jarry will quickly be moving on as he allowed five goals on 19 shots.

Game Recap

It did not take long for the game to see its first goal, as Bryan Rust scored his 27th of the season at 3:32 of the opening frame. On the goal, rookie Rutger McGroarty earned his first NHL point with the primary assist. The next 16 minutes featured a back-and-forth battle, with both teams playing tight defense and the Blues playing with plenty of physicality. The Penguins went into the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

The second period opened up much more than the first did. The teams traded goals in the first seven minutes, beginning with Jake Neighbours’ 20th of the season to tie the game at 1-1 just 29 seconds into the middle frame. Connor Dewar regained the Penguins’ lead at 4:22 with his fourth of the season, making it 2-1. Pavel Buchnevich responded with his 16th of the season to even the score at 6:48. At 8:05, Jordan Kyrou extended his team lead in goals, scoring his 33rd of the season to give the Blues their first lead of the night. Despite being under constant pressure and facing a 5-on-3 disadvantage to end the period, the Penguins entered the third down by just one.

Controlling play in the Penguins’ zone for a good chunk of time to begin the third period, Neighbours scored his second of the night to give the Blues a 4-2 lead at 5:56. The Penguins brought the game to within one on a Rickard Rakell power-play goal at 11:15. Penguins’ head coach Mike Sullivan’s plan to trust the kids in a tough situation paid off as McGroarty scored his first NHL goal to tie the game with 23 seconds left in regulation. It was a night for the kids as Ville Koivunen collected his first point in the NHL with an assist.

A costly slashing penalty by Kris Letang gave the Blues a power play in overtime. With 2:12 gone by in the extra session, Robert Thomas called game with a power-play goal.

Both clubs are back in action on Saturday (April 5). The Blues will look to keep their streak alive against Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche. The Penguins travel to Dallas to take on the Stars in a matinee meeting.