Blues playoff push receives boost with 5-1 win over Maple Leafs

Matthew DeFranks, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Mar 28, 2026

Published in Hockey

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

St. LOUIS — The playoff push won't stop yet.

With a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, the St. Louis Blues won their fourth straight game and improved to 11-2-2 since returning from the Olympic break. For the moment -- pending Los Angeles' result on Saturday -- the Blues pulled within four points of a playoff spot, with one game in hand on Nashville.

The Blues have 10 games remaining in the regular season, and will play the next four of them on the road.

Jimmy Snuggerud, Justin Holl, Pius Suter (shorthanded), Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg (power play) scored for the Blues, who can extend their win streak to a season-high five games on Monday in San Jose, Calif. Jordan Binnington made 12 saves in his first home start in a month.

Jake McCabe scored for the Maple Leafs, a third-period goal that cut the Blues lead to 2-1 at 5:07. Suter responded 1:39 later to regain the two-goal edge, capitalizing on Robert Thomas' work on the penalty kill to create a scoring chance.

Holloway added insurance at 9:10 of the third period, ripping a shot from the slot past Joseph Woll for his 17th goal of the season. Broberg's power-play goal with 1:36 remaining was the Blues' third power-play goal since the break.

Since the Olympics, only the Sabres (.824 points percentage) have a better points percentage than the Blues' (.800). At 31-30-11, the Blues are above a .500 points percentage for the first time since they were 3-2-1 after an overtime loss to the Kings on Oct. 21.

Minnesota men

Snuggerud and Holl got the Blues on the board in the second period on Saturday night, as they both found the back of the net to allow St. Louis to carry a 2-0 lead into the third period.

Snuggerud scored his 17th goal of the season at 5:21 of the second period, finishing a pretty passing play from Cam Fowler. Dylan Holloway snuck up to pickpocket Morgan Rielly at the Toronto blue line and carried the puck into the corner.

Fowler arrived on the scene in the middle of the ice with space, and once Holloway passed him the puck, outwaited Max Domi and delivered a pass to Snuggerud at the side of the net. Fowler's assist snapped a five-game point drought, which came after a six-game point streak.

Snuggerud's goal was his 39th point of the season. With one more point, Snuggerud would become just the second Blues rookie since 1997 to reach 40 points in a season. It was last done by Patrik Berglund in 2008-09 (47 points).

Snuggerud is tied for the team lead in goal-scoring with Holloway and Jordan Kyrou.

Holl added to the Blues' lead at 10:35 of the second, scoring his first goal as a member of the Blues to push the lead to 2-0. During an extended offensive-zone possession for St. Louis in the Toronto end, Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich cycled up high towards the blue line, allowing Holl space around the net to fill.

As Holl skated through the slot, Kyrou whipped a shot and Holl deflected it for his first NHL goal since the regular-season finale last season with Detroit. The Blues acquired Holl from the Red Wings as part of the Justin Faulk trade.

Holl was also facing his former team on Saturday night, as Holl spent parts of six seasons playing for the Maple Leafs, totaling 285 games in a Toronto sweater.

Holl played at the University of Minnesota from 2010-14, while Snuggerud was there from 2022-25.

Local kid

Joseph Woll started for the second time in St. Louis when he manned the crease on Saturday night. Woll previously started in his hometown on Nov. 2, 2024, giving up three goals in a 4-2 Toronto loss to the Blues.

Entering Saturday, Woll's only win over the Blues came this season in Toronto as the Leafs won 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 18.

Saturday was Woll's 36th start of the season, and he entered the evening with a .905 save percentage and 3.16 goals against average.

Woll kept the Leafs in the game despite St. Louis owning a 10-4 edge in shots in the first period, and a 15-4 advantage in the second period. Toronto went the first 9:28 of the second period without a shot on goal.

In the first period, Woll stopped Jake Neighbours on a play in the inner slot, and then Woll denied Holloway in the second period with a look just outside the crease.

____