The St. Louis Blues face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night, aiming to build on their recent 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. With no changes to their forward lines or defense pairings, Jordan Binnington will start in goal as the team targets a .500 record. Robert Thomas marks his 500th NHL game in this final contest before the Christmas break.
The St. Louis Blues (14-15-8) conclude their pre-holiday schedule against the Tampa Bay Lightning (19-13-3) at 6 p.m. CT on Monday, December 22, 2025, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Coming off a dominant 6-2 win over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday—their highest offensive output of the season—the Blues have earned points in their last three games (2-0-1) and won three of their last four road contests despite ongoing injuries.
Contributions were widespread in the Panthers game, with Robert Thomas recording two goals and an assist in what precedes his 500th NHL appearance. Newcomers shone brightly: Jonatan Berggren tallied one goal and two assists, while Otto Stenberg notched his first two NHL points with two assists. Jake Neighbours scored twice to reach 10 goals, becoming the first Blue in double figures this season, and Justin Faulk added to his nine goals, positioning him to surpass his career high.
A victory would give the Blues points in four of their last five games, bringing them to .500 for the first time since early in the season and within one point of a Western Conference wild card spot. However, they face a tough challenge, having lost their last four visits to Tampa by a combined 18-6 score.
Blues head coach Jim Montgomery emphasized continuity: "Keep building off what we've been doing here. Four of the last five games have been really good hockey. We've got to continue to do that, and this is a tremendous test playing against one of the top teams in the League."
The Blues' projected lineup remains unchanged:
Forwards:
Jonatan Berggren - Robert Thomas - Pavel Buchnevich
Jake Neighbours - Brayden Schenn - Otto Stenberg
Pius Suter - Dalibor Dvorsky - Robby Fabbri
Alexey Toropchenko - Oskar Sundqvist - Mathieu Joseph
Defense:
Philip Broberg - Colton Parayko
Tyler Tucker - Justin Faulk
Cam Fowler - Logan Mailloux
Goalies: Jordan Binnington (starter), Joel Hofer (backup)
Injuries sideline Jordan Kyrou (lower body), Dylan Holloway (high ankle sprain), and others for St. Louis, while Tampa misses Victor Hedman (elbow) and more.
