Buffalo Sabres vs St. Louis Blues: Game Recap
The Buffalo Sabres were shut out 3-0 by the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night at KeyBank Center, despite limiting the Blues to only 17 shots on goal.
Key Moments
- First Period: Mathieu Joseph scored a shorthanded breakaway goal with under eight minutes left, giving the Blues a 1-0 lead.
- Second Period: Less than three minutes in, Nick Bjugstad extended the lead to 2-0, assisted by Justin Faulk and Mathieu Joseph.
- Third Period: Justin Faulk added an empty-net goal late in the period to seal the 3-0 victory.
Player Highlights
Joel Hofer was strong in net for St. Louis, making 27 saves to earn the shutout. Buffalo generated 23 scoring chances but couldn’t solve Hofer.
Tyson Kozak returned from a lower-body injury after missing five games, clocking 10:10 of ice time.
The Sabres were without Jason Zucker, Jiri Kulich, and Zach Benson for this game.
Team Impacts
- Buffalo’s record moved to 5-5-4.
- The team’s seven-game points streak, the longest since 2023, ended with this loss.
- The Sabres went 0-for-3 on the power play during the game.
Scoring Summary
- STL 1 - BUF 0 | Period 1, 12:38 (SH): Mathieu Joseph (2) SHG unassisted
- STL 2 - BUF 0 | Period 2, 2:42: Nick Bjugstad (4) from Justin Faulk (5) and Mathieu Joseph (3)
- STL 3 - BUF 0 | Period 3, 18:58: Justin Faulk (3) from Mathieu Joseph (4)
"The Blues opened the scoring with a shorthanded breakaway goal from Mathieu Joseph to make it 1-0 with less than eight minutes remaining in the first period."
"Joel Hofer recorded 27 saves, denying the Sabres' 23 scoring chances."
Author’s summary: The Sabres’ strong defense couldn’t overcome St. Louis’ opportunistic scoring and solid goaltending, ending their impressive points streak.