Hofer Makes 28 Saves, Blues Shut Out Sabres
BUFFALO — Joel Hofer recorded 28 saves 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.
Hofer started the game after having stopped 15 of 17 shots in relief of Jordan Binnington during a 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals the previous night.
“Especially after last night, it tells a lot about our group, the character we have,” said Hofer. “After last night it was tough but bounced back and got a good win.”
Key Performances
- Mathieu Joseph contributed a goal and two assists.
- Justin Faulk scored a goal and added an assist.
The Blues improved to 5-8-2 on the season, winning two of their last three games.
Roster Updates
St. Louis scratched forward Jordan Kyrou, who was 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,” Blues coach Jim 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' Performance
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 14 saves for Buffalo (5-5-4), who saw their seven-game point streak come to an end with this loss.
Buffalo’s point streak ended after a 3-0-4 run over seven games.
Author's summary: Joel Hofer’s strong goaltending and key contributions from Joseph and Faulk led the Blues to a shutout win, ending Buffalo’s impressive seven-game point streak.