TORONTO — In the center of the hockey universe, the Blues’ new additions displayed why there’s optimism for a better season in St. Louis.

Three offseason acquisitions — Dylan Holloway (twice), Philip Broberg and Alexandre Texier — scored goals for the Blues as they beat the Maple Leafs and former Blues coach Craig Berube, 5-1, on Thursday night. Jake Neighbours also scored for the Blues as Jordan Binnington chipped in 41 saves.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Maple Leafs.

Binnington, playing in his hometown, came up big when the Blues needed him, as he made 26 saves through the first two periods and withstood a Toronto push after Neighbours scored on a rush to give the Blues a three-goal cushion.

The Blues, playing their first game without top-line center Robert Thomas, used their speed to get on the forecheck and chase down pucks but also to get into shooting lanes and out on the rush.

St. Louis continues its four-game road trip on Saturday in Montreal.

Offer-sheet goals

Both Blues players who arrived in St. Louis via offer sheet scored in the first period on Thursday night in Toronto, as Broberg opened the scoring and Holloway later extended the Blues lead on the power play.

Broberg’s goal at 4:07 of the first period came on a point shot that evaded a Pavel Buchnevich screen in front of Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll. Broberg received a pass from Jordan Kyrou, who picked up the puck in the right faceoff circle, then rounded the offensive zone before cutting back down the wall and feeding Broberg at the blue line.

It was Broberg’s seventh point of the young season and came one game after his season-opening six-game point streak ended on Tuesday against the Jets. With his next point, Broberg will tie his career high for an entire NHL season (eight points in 46 games in 2022-23).

At the time of Broberg’s goal, the Blues had outscored their opposition 7-1 at even strength with Broberg on the ice.

Holloway extended the Blues lead to 2-0 at 10:31 of the first period, potting his second of the season all alone in front of the net during a St. Louis power play. Oskar Sundqvist was pivotal in winning a corner battle for the puck, and Brandon Saad shoveled the puck to the net front for Holloway.

Holloway deked Woll in tight and stuffed the Blues’ first power-play goal since Oct. 11 in Vegas. Holloway scored his first goal as a Blue on Saturday against Carolina, going between his legs on the shot.

Holloway added an empty-net goal with 3:18 remaining in the third period.

Broberg and Holloway each signed two-year contracts with the Blues this summer after Edmonton failed to match their offer sheets.

First for Texier

Broberg and Holloway weren’t the only offseason additions to find the back of the net for the Blues on Thursday. Texier did, too, burying a second-period backhand feed from Kyrou after a successful forecheck by Buchnevich.

Texier was playing his second game back in the Blues lineup after missing five games with an upper-body injury suffered during the season opener in Seattle.

The goal gave Kyrou two primary assists on the night and Buchnevich two secondary assists on the night. Thursday night snapped a four-game pointless streak for Buchnevich.

Sundqvist makes impact

In his first game since March due to a torn ACL, Sundqvist made his presence felt early on in Toronto. While he didn’t earn an assist in the scorebook for his work on Holloway’s goal, he was instrumental in keeping the puck alive deep in the Maple Leafs zone.

Sundqvist also jumped right back in on the penalty kill, taking the right-handed faceoffs that Thomas normally would have taken while shorthanded. On the PK, Sundqvist used his stick to break up a potential Toronto scoring chance.

Sundqvist also set up a Blues chance on the other end with a stretch pass in the first period.

Neighbours again

Neighbours scored his third goal of the season and first since signing his two-year contract extension worth $3.75 million annually. The play began with him breaking up a Maple Leafs pass at the blue line, which led to a three-on-two rush the other way.

Neighbours picked his spot on Woll and now has three goals in his past four games after opening the season without a point in his first four games.

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