The St. Louis Blues finally found relief after a difficult stretch, shutting out the Buffalo Sabres 3–0 on the road Thursday night. It was the kind of statement win head coach Jim Montgomery had been seeking—defined by structure, energy, and accountability. For a team that had dropped four straight and eight of its last nine, the performance carried a sense of renewal.

Much of that turnaround stemmed from the play of backup goaltender Joel Hofer, who delivered his third career NHL shutout with 27 saves. Just 24 hours earlier, the Blues were coming off a humbling 6–1 defeat to the Washington Capitals, a loss that prompted Montgomery to bench forward Jordan Kyrou in a bid to reset the team’s mindset.

This time, the message appeared to land. Hofer’s calm presence in net set the tone, and hi

See Full Page