Hofer makes 28 saves, Blues shut out Sabres
St. Louis earns 3-0 victory over Buffalo
Joel Hofer stopped 28 shots, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 3-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday at KeyBank Center. It was Hofer’s third career shutout and came after he relieved Jordan Binnington in a 6-1 defeat to the Washington Capitals the previous night.
“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 and Faulk lead St. Louis offense
Mathieu Joseph contributed one goal and two assists, while Justin Faulk added a goal and an assist for the Blues (5-8-2), who managed only their second win in the past ten games. Joseph now stands tied for second on the team with eight points (four goals, four assists) through 14 games.
“There were several people we weren’t happy with the effort last night,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “It didn’t matter the role; there were a lot of guys that didn’t play up to expectations. The lineup we went with tonight gave us the best chance to win.”
Buffalo’s streak comes to an end
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 14 saves for the Sabres (5-5-4), whose seven-game point streak (3-0-4) came to an end.
“We missed some early opportunities that I think could have changed the game,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said.
Author’s Summary
Hofer’s stellar goaltending restored confidence for the Blues as they snapped their slump with a 3-0 win over the Sabres, ending Buffalo’s seven-game point streak.