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St. Louis Blues forwards Mathieu Joseph, Pius Suter, and Jimmy Snuggerud celebrate Snuggerud’s goal against the Vancouver Canucks (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

St. Louis Blues May Have Found the Right Line Chemistry

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Anthony Testaguzza | Last updated Oct 19, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Blues can settle into the season and tinker with the lineup after five games, including a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday (Oct. 13). On opening night against the Minnesota Wild, the Blues’ offense and defense were not moving forward in the game, ultimately suffering. However, after some minor adjustments, something has changed in their play since they earned their first win of the season over the Calgary Flames in their second game of the season.

Let’s review the Blues’ lineup adjustments that have clicked over their first five games of the season.

Joseph-Suter-Snuggerud Provide Consistent Offense

For a while, the Blues had promising forward Jimmy Snuggerud playing on the top line with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, which worked on the power play but not on five-on-five play. The trio of Buchnevich-Thomas-Snuggerud only notched a single point on the power play, and that was it after that.

Since then, Snuggerud has fit well with Pius Suter and Mathieu Joseph. They look faster and create more chances. Every player on that line puts in their part and contributes evenly. The results speak for themselves; the line had 10 shots against the Canucks, five from Snuggerud alone during five-on-five play.

With this line now set, we will see if it works for the rest of the season. If so, the Blues did a great job putting this roster together during the offseason, especially signing Suter, since there was a lot of uncertainty about what he could offer, but he should do well driving the third line.

Mailloux and Broberg Are Holding Down the Bottom Defensive Lines

Logan Mailloux and Philip Broberg have formed a solid defensive pairing through five games. Mailloux, who was traded from the Montreal Canadiens for forward Zachary Bolduc this summer, is the perfect partner for Broberg at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds.

They are a good mix of grit and offense. Mailloux brings an ambitious, puck-hungry skill set that has made the Blues a top-five team in offensive zone percentage (43.8 percent) after five games. This pair has dropped to 21.7 percent in expected goals percentage, but that’s because they converted more of their energy towards the defensive side of their game, only allowing 25 shot attempts against, which puts them within the top 100 defensive pairs in the league in doing so.

Defensively, Broberg and Mailloux have played over 26 minutes together after five games. Mailloux, who right now has not made as big a headline as Bolduc has in his first five games of the season, at least has this pair to progress on.

Blues Must Stick with What Works

Broberg keeps the puck in play and creates scoring chances, while Mailloux fights for possession along the boards. While still trying to settle into the NHL, Mailloux will play a key role as the more aggressive defender playing alongside Broberg. As for their offensive production, the Blues’ forward line of Joseph-Suter-Snuggerud should be the one to turn to when they are trying to get out of slumps. It’s been one of the most energetic lines on the Blues, and the last thing they need is to start with a forward group that is struggling to make things work.

Overall, these key lines and pairs will ultimately lead the Blues to more positive results and have more bite to their roster in a tough Central Division this season.