Hofer Makes 28 Saves, Blues Shut Out Sabres
Joel Hofer stopped 28 shots, leading 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 come in relief the previous night against the Washington Capitals, saving 15 of 17 shots in a 6-1 loss.
“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.”
Mathieu Joseph contributed a goal and two assists, while Justin Faulk added a goal and an assist for the Blues, who have now won two of their last three games. St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery decided to scratch forward Jordan Kyrou, who had been tied for second on the team with eight points (four goals, four assists) in 14 games.
“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.”
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 14 saves for Buffalo, who had their seven-game point streak snapped. The Sabres’ streak included three wins and four overtime or shootout losses.
Game Summary
- Final score: Blues 3, Sabres 0
- Blues’ record improves to 5-8-2
- Sabres’ record falls to 5-5-4
- Kyrou scratched despite being a key contributor
- Hofer followed a tough previous game with a strong performance
Author's summary: Joel Hofer’s strong goaltending helped the Blues secure a decisive shutout, ending Buffalo’s seven-game point streak and showcasing St. Louis’s resilience after a tough prior loss.