The St. Louis Blues dropped another close one on Tuesday night, falling 3–2 in overtime. It was a game that looked winnable, a game they had chances to close out, and a game that ended exactly the way too many have this season: with a point earned, but not the full two.
And that’s the story of the Blues right now. They remain alive in the standings, hanging around the wild-card picture, but their inability to stack regulation wins has created a razor-thin margin. St. Louis entered the night with just seven regulation wins, while every other team in the Western Conference wild-card chase already sat at 10 or more.
Still, even in a frustrating stretch and a middling record, there are things Blues fans can legitimately be thankful for as we approach American Thanksgiving. The numbers (both on the standings board and the individual stat sheet) paint a clearer picture of what’s working beneath the surface.
Here are five things Blues fans should be thankful for so far this season.
They’re Still Within Striking Distance Despite the RW Problem
The standings don’t lie: St. Louis hasn’t converted enough regulation wins to keep pace with the top half of the conference. OT and shootout losses have kept the point total respectable, but the regulation win gap is becoming a storyline every night.
And yet, the Blues are still in the mix.
Even after Wednesday’s 3–2 overtime loss, the point keeps them in (extended) arm’s reach of the second wild-card spot. They’re not buried. They’re not playing catch-up from 10 points back. They’re just struggling to finish games in 60 minutes.
For a flawed team with inconsistency issues, being this close to the playoff bubble is something to appreciate while they try to fix their biggest weakness.
Robert Thomas Is Still the Team’s Two-Way Engine
This season has not been peak Robert Thomas production — and that needs to be said clearly. After posting 21 goals, 81 points in 70 games in 2024–25, and 26 goals, 86 points in 82 games in 2023–24, Thomas is currently trending toward a 55-point pace (per EliteProspects).
But despite the lower scoring output, Thomas remains the Blues’ most reliable center and most important all-situations forward:
Completely filthy. pic.twitter.com/ejdNDSggph
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 27, 2025
- 52.3% on faceoffs (180 wins)
- 18:30+ per night, leading all forwards
- Still leads the team lead in points
He’s not producing like the 81 or 86-point version of himself, but he is carrying some of the hardest minutes on the team, stabilizing the top line, and driving play on nights where the offense otherwise goes quiet.
Even in a down year, he’s the Blues’ foundational piece — and that’s still something worth being thankful for.
Faulk and Parayko Have Been Elite Minute-Munchers
If you want to know why the Blues are competitive in so many one-goal games, look no further than Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko — the anchors of the blue line.
Justin Faulk
- 559+ minutes already
- 13 points as a defenseman
- Heavy special-teams usage
- Still firing nearly 2 shots per game
Colton Parayko
- 558+ minutes of his own
- Team-leading 59 blocks
- Taking every tough matchup and defensive-zone start
Without these two soaking up elite-level workloads, the close games St. Louis loses in overtime would likely be regulation losses instead. That matters…a lot. They are steadying forces during a season where the bottom half of the defense has been inconsistent and young players are still finding their feet.
The Young Core Is Arriving Sooner Than Expected
One of the biggest positives in the stat sheet is the immediate impact of the Blues’ young players. St. Louis finally has a wave of youth contributing — and, in some cases, driving games.
Jimmy Snuggerud (21)
- 11 points
- Nearly 50/50 takeaway/giveaway ratio
- Two power-play goals
- Legit ongoing top-six candidate
Jake Neighbours (23)
- 6 goals in 12 games
- Confidence and finishing touch through the roof
- Physical, engaged, and increasingly reliable
Dalibor Dvorsky (20)
- Three power-play goals already
- Nearly 49% in the faceoff circle as a rookie center
- Holding his own at NHL pace
Philip Broberg (24)
- Eight points in 24 games
- Leads all skaters in TOI (560)
- Leads all defensemen in defensive zone starts (60%)
- Legit top-four, even top-pairing candidate
For a team transitioning on the fly, getting this kind of production from multiple under-24 skaters is a genuine bright spot. Their growth is essential to any realistic long-term plan.
The Scoring Depth Is Finally Balanced Again
Last season, scoring came disproportionately from Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and a close third and fourth of Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours This year, it’s different, and that’s helping St. Louis stay competitive night after night.
- 12 players already at 8+ points
- Five players with 6+ goals
- Contributions coming from every forward line
Even in losses, especially tight ones like the 3–2 overtime loss, the Blues are not always getting shut down offensively. The issue hasn’t always been producing goals. It’s been closing out games before OT.
But the depth is there, and that’s a meaningful shift from last year.
The Blues have flaws. They don’t have enough regulation wins. Their stars aren’t producing at last year’s level. And their margin for error is thinner than ever in the Western Conference.
But in spite of all that, they aren’t sinking. They’re starting to compete heavier on a nightly basis. They’re developing. They’re pushing games past 60 minutes. They’re discovering legitimate building blocks for both the present and the future.
That’s more than many teams hovering around the wild-card line can say.
And heading into Thanksgiving week, that’s worth appreciating.