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 started after coming in relief for Jordan Binnington in the previous game, where he stopped 15 of 17 shots in a 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
“Especially after last night, it tells a lot about our group, the character we have. After last night it was tough but bounced back and got a good win.” – Joel Hofer
Mathieu Joseph contributed a goal and two assists, while Justin Faulk added a goal and an assist for the Blues, who have won two of their last three games. Notably, forward Jordan Kyrou was scratched. Kyrou 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. 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.” – Blues coach Jim Montgomery
For the Sabres, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 14 saves. Buffalo’s seven-game point streak came to an end with this loss. Their record stands at 5-5-4, while the Blues improved to 5-8-2.
Game Summary
- Final Score: St. Louis Blues 3, Buffalo Sabres 0
- Hofer's Saves: 28 (third career shutout)
- Sabres' Goalkeeper Luukkonen: 14 saves
- Blues contributed with goals from Mathieu Joseph and Justin Faulk
- Buffalo’s seven-game point streak ended
Summary: Hofer’s strong goaltending and key contributions from Joseph and Faulk led the Blues to a decisive shutout, ending Buffalo's point streak and reflecting the team's resilience after a tough previous night.