Welcome back to another NHL Predictions here at Last Word On Hockey! Everyday, we provide analysis, insights, and predictions for NHL games. The St. Louis Blues wrap up their early January three-game road trip in Sin City to face the Vegas Golden Knights.
NHL Predictions: St. Louis Blues vs Vegas Golden Knights
Time: 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
How to Watch TV: FDSNMW, SCRIPPS
2025-2026 Season Series: 1-1-0
For the second time in just eight days, the Blues and Golden Knights face-off. For the first few years in the league, St. Louis dominated the series between the two clubs. St. Louis did not lose in regulation to Vegas in the first three years of their franchise. Since they are in the same conference but different divisions, this resulted in a total of nine games with the Blues going 5-0-4.
Due to the anomaly that was the 2020-2021 regular season, the two teams played a resounding eight times. Vegas owns those bragging rights with a 4-2-2 record.
The teams have also shared some key pieces of personnel over the last almost decade. Alex Pietrangelo, captain of the St. Louis Blues during their 2019 Stanley Cup win (No, it was not Ryan O’Reilly, like many even in St. Louis seem to think…), was blindsided by the signing of Torey Krug in the offseason, leaving no cap space for St. Louis. Vegas came along, offered a hefty sum (seven years at $8.8 million a year), and Petro went on to win his second Stanley Cup in five years. Before Vegas was able to take their star defenceman in free agency, they were able to snag four-time St. Louis Blue David Perron in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, though just for that year.
The Blues Show Life
Covering the Blues is more difficult this year than most, and that is summed up to one reason. That reason being, they are essentially two teams. There’s the team that can play together, play for each other, and defend. Then there’s the Blues team who can’t score, won’t defend, and can’t even seem to find their backup goaltender.
Jim Montgomery couldn’t find Joel Hofer as he attempted to pull Jordan Binnington 💀 pic.twitter.com/troVGFBsu0
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 8, 2026
St. Louis came out swinging last night in Utah. Literally. Two seconds into the game and Alexey Toropchenko dropped the gloves with Utah’s Jack McBain. The two teams met after the whistles a few more times before Brayden Schenn stood up for rookie Jimmy Snuggerud who take a hit near the head. The Blues had life, they had passion. Point blank shot attempts for Jordan Kyrou and Snuggerud were flat out robbed by the Utah goaltender. Despite looking like a completely different team than the one Wednesday in Chicago, special teams were the source of defeat. Going 0-4 on the power play, especially when there is a chance to tie the game or take a lead, is unacceptable. And thus, the Blues still managed to find themselves destined for defeat.
The Blues also lost forward Robert Thomas just 33 seconds into the third period who landed face first on the ice and was motionless for the following moments. He was eventually able to get to his feet with a lot of help from his teammates. Even more miraculously, he came back and tried to will the Blues to a comeback late in the third. Hopefully he remains healthy and remains in the lineup tonight against Vegas.
Pacific Division Powerhouse
Two teams that, on paper, probably wouldn’t put on a great game gave the crowd in Vegas and spectacle on Wednesday. The Columbus Blue Jackets made their annual regular season trip to Vegas and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart was injured and had to be helped down the tunnel to the locker room before the period ended 2-1. The Knights seemed reenergized and scored three unanswered in the 2nd to take a 4-2 lead into the locker room. Columbus gave it their all but the firepower and grinding style of the Knights proved to be too much as they secured a 5-3 win.
At this time, there is no new information available on Hart’s injury. After the game, head coach Bruce Cassidy said “It didn’t look good the way he went down. But I don’t know.” Hart joins Vegas’ starting goal Adin Hill on the shelf, leaving third stringer Akira Schmid as the teams number one. Schmid has played well when called upon and can certainly take over the brunt of the load. Adin Hill returned to practice Thursday, which could signal a return could happen sooner than later.
Mark Stone stepped up for his Golden Knights by scoring in his sixth-straight game and adding two assists in their win over Columbus. The list of offensive firepower Vegas has reads like an All-Star or Fantasy team roster. In addition to Stone, Vegas can utilize Jack Eichel, Tomáš Hertl, Reilly Smith, and new summer addition Mitch Marner; it is hard to believe that Vegas has not run away with the Pacific Division.
Prediction:
We have officially seen both sides of the Blues on this road trip. After the blowout in Chicago and then to lose after what really was a solid showing despite the power play, St. Louis needs to find any sort of spark. Too often we have seen the Blues play well and when it doesn’t go their way, it’s like the game is over. If that happens tonight, the game will indeed, be over.
In the two games against St. Louis this year, Vegas has scored at least three goals. With the weapons mentioned before, there is no reason to see that changing. This month, Vegas has only failed to score three goals once, which also happens to be their lone January loss. Logic says that if St. Louis can hold Vegas to less than three goals, their odds are good. To anyone with knowledge of the St. Louis team this year, we should know that is most likely not going to happen.
Prediction: Vegas wins 4-1.
Prop Bets:
The over/under here is 5.5 so with fice total goals, we’re taking the under.
The Blues at times seem lucky to score a single goal, so we’re going with who looked to be the closest last night and take Jimmy Snuggerud with a goal at +390. The reverse side of things however seems like a toss up, and that’s a good thing. We see Mark Stone bumping his scoring streak up to seven games in a row, so we’ll take him at +125.
Main Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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