St. Louis Blues vs Vancouver-canucks Picks and Predictions January 27th 2025

Quinn Hughes Sparks Canucks Into Battle vs. Blues

Quinn Hughes continues to be the driving force behind the Vancouver Canucks, keeping them in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

Hughes has been on fire lately, registering five goals and two assists in his past five games. His impact was on full display Saturday night when he scored both goals in Vancouver’s 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals, snapping the Canucks’ two-game losing streak.

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“You don’t want to call a game in January a must-win, but we needed this one,” Canucks forward Connor Garland said. “(Hughes) just finds a way to bring his best.”

Goaltender Kevin Lankinen, who previously played against Hughes while with Chicago and Nashville, is thrilled to be on the same side now.

“I’m just extremely impressed,” Lankinen said. “Seeing him on a daily basis, how he drags guys along and takes over games is remarkable. I’m just really happy to be witnessing that and just being on the same side of that show.”

Canucks Look to Build Momentum

The Canucks have struggled with consistency, winning just three of their last 11 games. Their win over the red-hot Capitals—who had been on a six-game winning streak—was a much-needed confidence boost.

“It’s massive, just because how we’ve been playing, obviously not good enough, and to come out here against a really good team and play as well as we did, that’s a really good sign,” Hughes said. “But also in saying that, we got to find a way to bring that consistently.”

That consistency will be tested Monday when they take on a St. Louis Blues team also fighting for playoff positioning.

Blues Struggling to Gain Traction at Home

The Blues enter Monday’s matchup chasing Vancouver and Calgary for a wild-card spot, but they have struggled to find rhythm.

St. Louis has lost its first two games of a three-game homestand, falling 4-2 to Vegas and 2-0 to Dallas. Those losses dropped the Blues’ home record below .500 (11-12-1), an issue that head coach Jim Montgomery is determined to fix.

“We’re going to start doing things differently,” Montgomery said. “We had a great crowd (Saturday). Our fans were ready to rock … Maybe we do morning skates at (the practice facility). We’ve got to disrupt the rhythm somehow so that we have a little more urgency.”

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Blues captain Brayden Schenn believes the issue isn’t tactics, but mindset.

“I think it just becomes individually having yourself ready to play, especially this time of the year,” Schenn said. “Points are crucial, playing at home. At the end of the day, no excuse not being ready to play, especially against good hockey teams. That’s the lesson we have to learn.”

Blues Took the First Meeting

The Blues and Canucks last met on Dec. 10, when St. Louis won 4-3 in overtime.

• Joel Hofer stopped 22 shots to earn the win for St. Louis.
• Robert Thomas (goal, two assists) and Dylan Holloway (goal, assist) led the Blues’ offense.
• Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist for Vancouver.
• Thatcher Demko made 21 saves in the loss.

What’s at Stake?

• Vancouver is looking to build on its momentum and secure another key win in the tight Western Conference playoff race.
• St. Louis is desperate to avoid a winless homestand and get back on track as they fight for wild-card positioning.

Expect a high-intensity battle between two teams that urgently need points in a crowded Western Conference.