At the Horn: Blues 3 - Sabres 0
The Buffalo Sabres were shut out 3-0 by the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night at KeyBank Center, despite limiting their opponent to only 17 shots on goal.
Game Summary
- The Blues scored first with a shorthanded breakaway goal by Mathieu Joseph, making it 1-0 with less than eight minutes left in the first period.
- Nick Bjugstad extended the lead to 2-0 less than three minutes into the second period, assisted by Justin Faulk and Mathieu Joseph.
- Justin Faulk added the third goal late in the third period, again assisted by Mathieu Joseph.
Sabres Performance
Buffalo generated 23 scoring chances but failed to beat Blues goalie Joel Hofer, who stopped 27 shots.
Tyson Kozak returned to the Sabres' lineup after missing five games due to a lower-body injury, playing 10:10 minutes.
The Sabres were without Jason Zucker, Jiri Kulich, and Zach Benson for the game.
Standings Impact
Buffalo's record moved to 5-5-4, and their seven-game points streak—the longest since 2023—came to an end.
Key Game Events
- Period 1, 12:38 (SH): Mathieu Joseph scored a shorthanded goal unassisted.
- Period 2, 2:42: Nick Bjugstad scored (4th of the season), assisted by Justin Faulk and Mathieu Joseph.
- Period 3, 18:58: Justin Faulk scored (3rd of the season), assisted by Mathieu Joseph.
“The Sabres had 23 scoring chances but were unable to crack Joel Hofer who recorded 27 saves.”
Author's summary: The Sabres' offense generated many chances but couldn't overcome a strong Blues defense and goalie, ending Buffalo’s seven-game point streak.