The St. Louis Blues defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Tuesday night, ending their three-game losing streak. Joel Hofer's stellar performance in goal, making 33 saves, earned him his fourth shutout of the season. The Blues' victory was a well-rounded effort, with goals from Nick Bjugstad, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Jimmy Snuggerud.

A key moment in the game was Bjugstad's shorthanded goal at 3:09 of the second period, which broke the scoreless tie. This was Bjugstad's first goal since November 6th, marking a significant return after missing 15 games due to an upper-body injury. The Blues capitalized on special teams again later in the period when Snuggerud scored a power-play goal with 7:11 remaining. This was the second time this season that the Blues managed to score both a shorthanded and a power-play goal in the same game.

Hofer's performance was critical, especially early in the game when the Hurricanes came out strong. He stopped all nine shots he faced in the first period, including a notable glove save on a one-timer from Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the second. He continued his strong play into the third, thwarting a flurry of Carolina chances. According to Field Level Media, Hofer made a glove save on Kotkaniemi's rebound attempt during a goalmouth scramble. He also denied Sean Walker on a 3-on-1 rush late in the second period.

The Blues' victory came despite missing key players, Robert Thomas (lower body) and Philip Broberg (concussion), who were injured in the previous game. The team's depth and resilience were on display as they overcame these absences to secure the win.

The Hurricanes, on the other hand, were shut out for the first time this season, bringing their five-game point streak to an end. Goalie Brandon Bussi made 28 saves but suffered only his third regulation loss in 20 career games. Carolina had an early 6-2 shot advantage, including a clean break-in by Jordan Staal just 25 seconds into the game. The Blues weathered the early pressure and stabilized, outhitting the Hurricanes 11-3 and blocking seven shots in the first period.

Jake Neighbours extended his point streak to four games with a primary assist on Dvorsky's goal. Neighbours cut in from the left wing before setting up Dvorsky for a point-blank goal. Kyrou assisted Snuggerud's power-play goal.

Looking ahead, the Hurricanes will host Florida on Friday night, while the Blues will host Tampa Bay.