Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ St. Louis Blues, 4/14/2026

• That offensive explosion included two goals from Jake Neighbours, who’s been struggling down the stretch this season. It could be good for both team and player to end the season with a hot streak from Neighbours, who was floated on a recent 32 Thoughts podcast as a potential future captain in St. Louis.

• Joel Hofer started last night against the Wild, so the Pens could be seeing Jordan Binnington tonight. Binnington is still searching for his first win of April after the Blues lost to the Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets in his last two starts.

Season stats (does not include yesterday’s game)
via hockeydb

• Offensive depth has been an issue all season for the Blues, as recently pointed out by Jeremy Rutherford for The Athletic. Heading into Monday, the team’s top line of Dylan Holloway, Robert Thomas and rookie Jimmy Snuggerud had combined for over a quarter of the team’s total production (including defensemen).

“(The other lines) just haven’t found that rhythm that the first line has. Everyone sees the skill and the plays they make off the rush, but they’re doing a lot of good stuff, winning battles, being connected, and having someone at the net front. It’s something I think the other lines need to make sure that they have a net anchor a little bit more.” — Blues coach Jim Montgomery, per Rutherford

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• The Blues are heading into the 2026 NHL draft with three first-round picks, including a lottery selection projected as of Monday to land at No. 8. They also have one of the top prospect pools in the NHL, starting by recent first-rounders Justin Carbonneau and Adam Jirícek. The Blues could be hoping graduating some of those prospects to the NHL in the near future, in addition to developing a potential high pick and young players like Snuggerud, will help this team retool from its aging 2019 championship core.

And now for the Pens

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Egor Chinakhov – Rickard Rakell – Ville Koivunen

Anthony Mantha- Tommy Novak – Justin Brazeau

Rutger McGroarty – Kevin Hayes – Avery Hayes

Elmer Soderblom – Joona Koppanen – Noel Acciari

DEFENSEMEN

Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton

Sam Girard / Jack St Ivany

Ryan Graves / Ilya Solovyov

Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs

Potential Scratches: Blake Lizotte (injured), Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ben Kindel, Erik Karlsson, Parker Wotherspoon, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust

IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)

• Take these lines (from the Penguins’ first of two matchups with the Caps this weekend) with a grain of salt. They’ll depend on who the Pens decide to rest in the final game of the regular season, reportedly many of the top players are not expected to be on the trip out to Missouri and returned home to Pittsburgh after the game in DC on Sunday.

• Some fun stats from Penguins PR: Players who have hit career-high points totals with the Penguins this season include Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau, Connor Dewar, Egor Chinakhov, Ryan Shea, Parker Wotherspoon, Bryan Rust, Ilya Solovyov, Elmer Soderblom and Jack St. Ivany.

• If Anthony Mantha finishes the season as the Penguins’ leading goalscorer (he’s on track to, barring a three-goal night from Sidney Crosby) he will join Jake Guentzel, Chris Kunitz, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell on an exclusive list as the only Penguins outside Crosby or Evgeni Malkin to lead the team in scoring since 2005.

• Crosby is meanwhile set to finish the season as the Penguins’ point leader for the 16th time. He is one season shy of tying Gordie Howe’s 17 seasons as the Detroit Red Wings’ points leader for the all-time record with a single franchise.