Observations from Blues' 3-0 Win Vs. Sabres

The St. Louis Blues responded to Jordan Kyrou's healthy scratch with a strong performance, shutting out the Buffalo Sabres 3-0 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Thursday. This came after a poor showing against the Washington Capitals the previous night.

Key Highlights

Joel Hofer delivered a sharp performance, earning his first shutout of the season and the third of his career.
Secondary scoring contributions came from Mathieu Joseph and Nick Bjugstad.
Coach Jim Montgomery held players accountable by healthy-scratching top players Jordan Kyrou and Oskar Sundqvist, with Kyrou's scratch being the most surprising.
Montgomery also likely benched Robert Thomas for the final 9 minutes and 18 seconds of the second period.
The team showed improved intensity, competing hard on loose pucks, wall battles, and 1-on-1 situations.

Coach’s Message and Team Response

"Montgomery wanted guys digging in, life, juice, compete and battle from his players and got it."

Despite the unusual step of having a morning skate before the second game of back-to-back matches, the Blues took that initiative after their disappointing defeat in Washington. Their record stands at 5-8-2, reflecting either two wins in three games or only their second win in the past ten games.

Overall Team Performance

The Blues’ fourth line and defenseman Jayden Faulk contributed significantly, complementing Hofer’s goaltending and the secondary scorers’ efforts, making this a solid team win following a tough previous game.

Author's summary: The Blues showed resilience and accountability, bouncing back from a poor loss with a disciplined, hard-fought shutout victory led by strong goaltending and depth scoring.

The Hockey News — 2025-11-07