Jimmy Snuggerud delivered the final, gut-punch moment Thursday night, scoring on the power play with just 7.6 seconds left to lift the St. Louis Blues to a 5–4 win over the Florida Panthers, snapping a five-game losing streak in dramatic fashion.
The late goal spoiled what had been a memorable night for Matthew Tkachuk in his return from adductor muscle surgery. Playing in his hometown of St. Louis, Tkachuk scored his first two goals of the season and recorded his 400th career assist, nearly dragging the defending Stanley Cup champions back from a two-goal deficit.
Instead, it was the Blues who had the last word. Jordan Kyrou powered the St. Louis offense with a goal and two assists, while Jake Neighbours, Jonatan Berggren, and Oskar Sundqvist also found the net. Joel Hofer stopped 17 shots for the Blues, who leaned on timely scoring rather than volume to secure the victory.
Florida struck first when A.J. Greer opened the scoring at 3:12 of the first period, but the Blues responded quickly. Neighbours tied it just 1:34 later, and Kyrou gave St. Louis a 2–1 lead at 7:51. After Sam Reinhart knotted the game at 2–2 with a power-play goal at 9:22, Berggren answered late in the period, scoring at even strength with 5:35 remaining to send the Blues into the break ahead 3–2.
St. Louis extended the lead early in the second period when Sundqvist, playing his first game after missing four with a skate cut above his ankle, scored just 41 seconds in to make it 4–2.
With 3:08 left in the second, Tkachuk cut the deficit to one, then struck again on the power play with 1:21 remaining, stunning the crowd and tying the game at 4–4. The goals capped a strong return performance for the St. Louis native, who is slated to represent the United States in the upcoming Olympics.
Florida nearly completed the comeback, but a late penalty proved costly. With time winding down, Snuggerud capitalized on the man advantage, firing home the game-winner to ignite the Enterprise Center.
Reinhart finished with a goal and an assist for Florida, while Daniil Tarasov made 26 saves as the Panthers dropped their second straight game. Evan Rodrigues appeared in his 600th career NHL game.
Both teams will be back in action Saturday night. The Panthers host Winnipeg, while the Blues return home to face Columbus, hoping the emotional win serves as a turning point.
