Hofer Makes 28 Saves as 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 was Hofer's third career shutout. He started the game after stepping in during a 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, where he made 15 saves on 17 shots.
“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.”
Mathieu Joseph contributed a goal and two assists, while Justin Faulk added a goal and an assist. The Blues, now 5-8-2, claimed only their second win in the past ten games. Joseph is tied for second on the team with eight points (four goals, four assists) in 14 games.
Blues coach Jim Montgomery said, “There were several people we weren’t happy with the effort last night. It didn’t matter the role; there was 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.”
For the Sabres (5-5-4), goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 14 saves. Buffalo's seven-game point streak ended with this loss.
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff commented, “We missed some early opportunities that I think could have changed the game.”
The Blues’ lineup adjustments and Hofer’s strong performance were key factors in stopping Buffalo’s momentum.
Summary: Hofer’s standout shutout and key contributions from Joseph and Faulk helped the Blues end Buffalo’s seven-game point streak with a solid 3-0 win.