Blues' comeback bid foiled by late goal during 4-3 loss to Stars

Matthew DeFranks, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Jan 27, 2026

Published in Hockey

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ST. LOUIS — A third-period comeback attempt wasn't enough as the St. Louis Blues' losing streak reached five with a 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars Tuesday night at Enterprise Center.

Thomas Harley scored the game-winning goal for the Stars with 1:07 left in the third period, slipping a shot from the point that appeared to deflect off Alexey Toropchenko.

It was the second time in a week that the Stars scored late in the third period to beat the Blues, after Jason Robertson did so down in Texas on Friday.

Brayden Schenn scored twice and Robby Fabbri scored once for the Blues, and Matt Duchene led the Stars with a pair of goals. Jordan Binnington made 20 saves in defeat.

The five-game losing streak is the second-longest of the season for the Blues, who lost seven in a row from Oct. 21-Nov. 1.

The Blues also lost forwards Jake Neighbours and Jordan Kyrou to injuries.

St. Louis hosts Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers on Thursday night to continue their home stand.

Coming back

Facing a 3-0 deficit at the beginning of the third period, the Blues rallied with goals by Fabbri and Schenn to cut the Stars lead to 3-2 at 6:22 of the third period.

Fabbri scored his first NHL goal in almost a year 3:15 into the third period, as it was his first goal since Jan. 28, 2025 with Anaheim. It was also Fabbri's first goal during his second stint with the Blues, and first with St. Louis since Oct. 17, 2019.

Fabbri's goal withstood an offside challenge by the Stars as the Blues re-entered the zone just as Mathieu Joseph was tagging up at the blue line. After a lengthy review, the goal stood up. The Blues could not capitalize on the ensuing power play assessed to Dallas for delay of game.

Schenn cut the lead to one goal with a shot from the left wing that beat Jake Oettinger on the rush. Schenn's 11th goal of the season was his fourth in the last five games.

The Blues entered Tuesday winless in the 16 games that they trailed by at least three goals.

Familiar story

The Blues were outscored 3-0 in the second period, continuing their season-long slump in the middle period. St. Louis entered Tuesday with a minus-23 goal differential in the second period, the worst margin in the league and tied with Columbus' third period as the worst period in the NHL.

Duchene scored twice in 40 seconds to turn a scoreless game into a 2-0 lead for the Stars.

First, he struck at 3:20 on the power play, on the receiving end of a pass from Mikko Rantanen to the backdoor that split a Blues' defender's legs. Then at even-strength, Duchene was the beneficiary of a deflected puck that found the back of the net. His intended pass to Jamie Benn at the net-front went off Binnington's stick and then off Logan Mailloux and into the net.

Roope Hintz scored with 1:54 left in the second period, again on the power play. Hintz's goal came eight seconds into Dalibor Dvorsky's slashing penalty on Wyatt Johnston.

It was the third time in four games that the Blues allowed multiple goals on the power play. It was the second straight game against Dallas that the Stars potted multiple power-play goals.

Since Dec. 18, the Blues have allowed 20 power-play goals in 18 games.

Neighbours, Kyrou hurt

Neighbours did not play after the first period due to a lower-body injury. He skated to the bench hunched over about midway through the first period after blocking a shot from Esa Lindell, but it was unclear whether that was the source of his injury.

Neighbours finished with 5:19 of ice time.

He entered Tuesday as one-third of the Blues' most productive line with Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich, but his absence forced a rotation of wingers into his spot at even-strength. On the power play, Fabbri took Neighbours' spot at the net front.

Kyrou did not play in the third period due to an upper-body injury, and he finished with 11:21 of ice time.

Neighbours and Kyrou join a now-growing list of Blues injuries, all of them to forwards.

Pius Suter (right ankle) is nearing a return after missing 14 games. Dylan Holloway (right high-ankle sprain) suffered a setback when he returned last week, and has missed the last four games. Robert Thomas (lower-body) and Oskar Sundqvist (skate cut above ankle) both skated with the team during morning skate Tuesday.

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