Jake Neighbours, Robert Thomas score twice as Blues beat Panthers, 6-2

Matthew DeFranks, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Dec 20, 2025

Published in Hockey

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SUNRISE, Fla. — If the Blues wanted an inspiration, there was one on the other bench on Saturday night during their 6-2 win in Florida.

The Panthers, two-time defending Stanley Cup champions and without two of their best players, have rallied despite their injuries to challenge for the Atlantic Division lead. The Blues, down five injured forwards, are trying to rally.

"It's a great coaching staff, great leadership," Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. "They're the class of the league until someone beats them."

Jake Neighbours (twice), Robert Thomas (twice), Jonatan Berggren and Justin Faulk scored for the Blues, as Joel Hofer made 27 saves. AJ Greer and Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers.

The six goals were a season-high for St. Louis.

The win brought the Blues (14-15-8) to their highest points percentage (.486) since they were 3-3-1. They continue their road trip on Monday night in Tampa.

Failed challenge

The game turned slightly in the second period after Greer's goal that cut the St. Louis lead to 2-1, and the ensuing failed coach's challenge from Montgomery for goaltender interference.

A Jesper Boqvist shot went off Greer at the net-front as Greer and Panthers defenseman Seth Jones each made contact with Hofer in the crease. While Jones and Greer went into the crease on their own, the NHL ruled that it was a valid goal, saying "The Situation Room supported the Referees’ call on the ice that Seth Jones and A.J. Greer’s presence in the crease did not affect Joel Hofer’s ability to play his position prior to the goal."

It was the second goaltender interference call this season to go against the Blues. The NHL also ruled on Nov. 8 that a Seattle game-tying goal was allowed because it also did not impair Hofer's ability to play his position. The Blues lost that game in overtime to the Kraken.

On Saturday, the failed challenge put the Blues on the penalty kill, and on the back foot for the next stretch of the game.

The Blues killed the delay of game penalty resulting from the challenge, but couldn't kill Colton Parayko's holding penalty, as Reinhart's 19th goal of the season tied the game at 2 with 7:15 remaining in the second period.

Beating the buzzer

Faulk's goal with 0.8 seconds left in the second period gave the Blues a 3-2 lead entering intermission and provided them a boost after the Panthers erased a two-goal deficit earlier in the period.

With time winding down in the period, Berggren won a puck below the goal line — first with his feet and then with his stick — before flinging it to the opposite boards. It caromed off the boards and right to Faulk, who ripped a slap shot over Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov's glove hand.

The goal bookended the second period with Blues goals.

Just 1:55 into the period, Berggren scored on the power play, sneaking a shot over the goal line inside Tarasov's glove. Berggren shot quickly after lateral passes from Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, but Tarasov gloved his attempt. Referee Michael Markovic immediately signaled a goal, even if most of the arena had no idea it crossed the goal line.

It was Berggren's second goal as a Blue after he scored Thursday against the Rangers.

Adding a tip

Neighbours scored at 9:59 of the first period when he deflected Cam Fowler's point shot for his ninth goal of the season. Brayden Schenn won a faceoff, and Otto Stenberg ushered the puck back to Fowler at the blue line. He let a shot go, and Neighbours got his stick on the puck going against the grain to fool Tarasov.

It was Stenberg's first NHL point as he picked up the secondary assist.

For the Blues, it was the 18th time in the last 23 games that they scored first.

Neighbours added another goal at 12:02 of the third period, and Thomas scored 51 seconds later to blow the game open 5-2. Thomas added a short-handed empty-netter with 3:34 left in the third period to open up a 6-2 lead.