--- title: "Golden Knights vs. Blues: St. Louis faces both 2026 Stanley Cup Final teams this week" description: "Vegas comes to Enterprise Center on Thursday, and Carolina is next, for a Blues team at 4-4-1 that just avoided a three-game skid." url: https://sports.skoop.news/game-day-blues-begin-two-game-stretch-against-cup-finalists---10-22/ published: 2026-10-23T07:44:55.285311-04:00 modified: 2026-10-23T07:44:55.285311-04:00 section: "Sports" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["First Alert ABC", "Forward Robert Thomas", "Stanley Cup Final", "Alexey Toropchenko", "Blue Note", "Blues App", "Vegas", "Carolina", "AHL", "Blues'"] hashtags: ["#FirstAlertABC", "#ForwardRobertThomas", "#StanleyCupFinal", "#sports", "#sportshighlights"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Carolina%2C_Puerto_Rico_%28aerial%29.JPG/1280px-Carolina%2C_Puerto_Rico_%28aerial%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # Golden Knights vs. Blues: St. Louis faces both 2026 Stanley Cup Final teams this week > Vegas comes to Enterprise Center on Thursday, and Carolina is next, for a Blues team at 4-4-1 that just avoided a three-game skid. Published 2026-10-23 · Sports, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - The Blues face the two teams that played in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, Vegas and Carolina, in consecutive games this week [[1]](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/nhl/blues/article_b3dcaeb7-cb91-45c8-a118-5ffc1f40536b.html). - Vegas is 8-3 and in the Pacific Division [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). - Head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed the team will use the same forward lines and defense pairings against Vegas, with Joel Hofer in net [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). ## Two Cup Final teams in a row The Blues face the two teams that played in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, Vegas and Carolina, in consecutive games this week [[1]](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/nhl/blues/article_b3dcaeb7-cb91-45c8-a118-5ffc1f40536b.html). Those two are the Blues' next two opponents [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). If you plan to follow the Blues, the first test is Vegas on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Enterprise Center [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas) [[1]](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/nhl/blues/article_b3dcaeb7-cb91-45c8-a118-5ffc1f40536b.html). ## Who the Blues are playing Vegas is 8-3 and in the Pacific Division [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). The Golden Knights are defending Western Conference champions [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). Carolina won the Stanley Cup in June [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). The Blues are 4-4-1 and in the Central Division [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). Forward Robert Thomas has five points in nine games [[1]](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/nhl/blues/article_b3dcaeb7-cb91-45c8-a118-5ffc1f40536b.html). ## No changes against Vegas Head coach Jim Montgomery confirmed the team will use the same forward lines and defense pairings against Vegas, with Joel Hofer in net [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). The Blues will make no changes to their lineup for the game [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). Montgomery said the five home games are against really good NHL teams, and the team is focused on itself [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). The Vegas game is part of a five-game homestand that opened Tuesday [[1]](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/nhl/blues/article_b3dcaeb7-cb91-45c8-a118-5ffc1f40536b.html). ## How the homestand started The Blues beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 [[1]](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/nhl/blues/article_b3dcaeb7-cb91-45c8-a118-5ffc1f40536b.html). The win avoided a three-game losing streak [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). Philip Broberg scored on a power play at 8:47 of the third period to break a tie [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). He got a new partner at the blue line in that game and pressured the offensive end [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). Montgomery said Broberg's play has improved, saying the defenseman has turned it up to Lamborghini style in the last couple of games [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). ## Roster moves and Toropchenko's progress The Blues made a handful of changes to their defensive pairings and called up two forwards due to injuries [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). The Blues placed forward Zach Dean on waivers to be assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). They also assigned forward Dylan Peterson to Springfield [[3]](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/). Alexey Toropchenko suffered an upper-body injury in the first game of the season [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). His original recovery timeline was six weeks, but he has been back at practice and is progressing well [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). Toropchenko took contact in Wednesday's practice and will take more in Friday's practice, after which Montgomery said he might be close [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). He skated with the team for the fourth time that week on Thursday in an optional morning skate [[1]](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/nhl/blues/article_b3dcaeb7-cb91-45c8-a118-5ffc1f40536b.html). ## How to watch the Vegas game The Thursday game against Vegas starts at 7 p.m. and will be available on Blue Note+ and simulcast on First Alert ABC [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). You can listen to the radio feed on 101 ESPN or in the Blues App [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). For lineup watchers, the Blues are using the same forward lines and defense pairings, with Hofer in goal [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). Toropchenko's next contact practice is Friday [[2]](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas). ## Sources 1. [Game Day: Blues begin two-game stretch against Cup Finalists by welcoming in Vegas](https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/nhl/blues/article_b3dcaeb7-cb91-45c8-a118-5ffc1f40536b.html) — stltoday.com 2. [Projected Lineup: Oct. 22 vs. Vegas](https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/projected-lineup-oct-22-vs-vegas) — nhl.com 3. [Blues Run It Back With Same Lines Against Golden Knights](https://heavy.com/sports/nhl/st-louis-blues/blues-run-it-back-with-lines/) — heavy.com Image: Photo: Mtmelendez / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carolina,_Puerto_Rico_(aerial).JPG) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/