The Buffalo Sabres controlled possession but couldn’t find the back of the net, falling 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night at KeyBank Center.
Despite allowing just 17 shots, Buffalo’s seven-game point streak came to an end as St. Louis capitalized on its limited opportunities. The Blues opened the scoring late in the first period when Mathieu Joseph converted a shorthanded breakaway to make it 1-0. Nick Bjugstad added to the lead early in the second, doubling the advantage just under three minutes into the frame.
The Sabres generated 23 scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, but couldn’t solve goaltender Joel Hofer, who stopped all 27 shots he faced for the shutout. Buffalo’s power play went scoreless on two opportunities, and the team struggled to create sustained pressure in front of the net despite controlling much of the offensive zone time.
Tyson Kozak returned to the lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury, logging just over 10 minutes of ice time. The Sabres were without Jason Zucker, Jiri Kulich, and Zach Benson, all sidelined with injuries.
With the loss, Buffalo dropped to 5-5-4 on the season and saw its longest point streak since 2023 snapped.
The Sabres now hit the road for four straight games, beginning Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m.
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].