Hofer Makes 28 Saves, Blues Shut Out Sabres
Joel Hofer stopped 28 shots as the St. Louis Blues blanked the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 at KeyBank Center on Thursday night. It marked Hofer’s third career shutout and a strong rebound after he relieved Jordan Binnington in a tough 6-1 defeat against the Washington Capitals the previous evening.
“Especially after last night, it tells a lot about our group, the character we have,” Hofer said. “After last night it was tough but bounced back and got a good win.”
Joseph Leads the Offense
Mathieu Joseph registered one goal and two assists, while Justin Faulk contributed a goal and an assist for St. Louis, which has now taken two of its past three games.
Kyrou Scratched for the Game
Forward Jordan Kyrou was a healthy scratch despite entering the matchup tied for second on the team with eight points (four goals and four assists) in 14 games.
“There were several people we weren’t happy with the effort last night,” said Blues coach Jim Montgomery. “It didn’t matter the role; there were a lot of guys that didn’t play up to their responsibilities. The players we went with tonight gave us the best opportunity to win.”
Sabres’ Streak Snapped
Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 14 saves as the Sabres saw their seven-game point streak (3-0-4) come to an end with the shutout loss. The defeat brought their record to 5-5-4 for the season.
Author’s Summary
Joel Hofer led the Blues to a 3-0 win over Buffalo with his third career shutout, halting the Sabres’ seven-game point streak and giving St. Louis a much-needed rebound victory.