Hofer Makes 28 Saves, Blues Shut Out Sabres
Joel Hofer stopped 28 shots to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Thursday. This marked Hofer's third career shutout. He had also come in relief during the previous game, making 15 saves in a 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals the day before.
“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.”
Key Contributions and Team Decisions
Mathieu Joseph contributed a goal and two assists, while Justin Faulk added a goal and an assist for the Blues, who improved to 5-8-2 with two wins in their last three games.
St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery made the notable decision to scratch forward Jordan Kyrou. Kyrou, tied for second on the team with eight points (four goals and four assists) in 14 games, did not play.
“There were several people we weren’t happy with the effort last night,” Montgomery said. “It didn’t matter the role, there were a lot of guys that didn’t play up to their role or responsibilities on the team. And the players we ended up going with we thought gave us the best opportunity to win tonight.”
Sabres Streak Ends
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 14 saves for Buffalo, whose seven-game point streak (3-0-4) came to an end with the loss.
Game Summary
- St. Louis Blues won 3-0 over Buffalo Sabres
- Joel Hofer’s 28 saves secured his third career shutout
- Mathieu Joseph: 1 goal, 2 assists
- Justin Faulk: 1 goal, 1 assist
- Jordan Kyrou scratched despite ranking second on team points
- Buffalo Sabres' seven-game point streak ended
Hofer’s performance and Montgomery’s lineup changes highlighted the Blues’ resilience and tactical edge in ending their recent struggles.
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