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 Right wingers Troy Brouwer and Robby Fabbri each had third-period
goals as the Blues came from behind to beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1
on Monday night.
Outhit, outshot and outscored through the first two periods, the
Blues (14-6-2) rallied to win for the first time this season when
trailing entering the third period. They were 0-6-2 entering the
game.
"We started playing more of our game in the third period and it paid
off," Fabbri said.
Blues coach Ken Hitchock said the Sabres were the more physical team
in the first two periods, but the Blues started to hit back in the
third.
"Some of our veteran guys dug in and started to give it back in the
third period," Hitchock said. "That's the hardest I've seen us get
checked in a long time. We had to invest way more than we were if we
expected to win the game. For the first two periods, we were looking
for something easier and it wasn't there."
Goalkeeper Jake Allen made 24 saves for the Blues, who have won in
their last four trips to First Niagara Center and beaten the Sabres
in 18 of the last 20 meetings dating to 1999.
"Our goalie was our best player again," Hitchcock said. "It's
beginning to be like a broken record, but you're grateful for it."
Center David Legwand scored for the Sabres (8-11-2), who are winless
in their last five games. Rookie goaltender Linus Ullmark made 24
saves.
"I thought the way our goaltender was playing was going to be enough
to win that game," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said.
The Sabres were 6-0 when leading after three periods entering this
game, but center Ryan O'Reilly said the young team is still lacking
a killer instinct.
"We've got to hate to lose more," O'Reilly said. "I think we're too
OK with losing. It's not good. We have to find a way to close that
game out."
The Blues killed off four penalties, including one in the final
minute of the third period that the Sabers turned into a six-on-four
advantage after pulling the goaltender.
In the last five games, the Blues have allowed one goal on 19
opposing power plays.
The Sabres out-shot the Blues 18-15 through the first two periods,
but the Blues had an 11-7 advantage in the third period.
Fabbri scored the winning goal with 6:34 left to play. Defenseman
Jay Bouwmeester created the scoring chance with a shot from the
point that Ullmark could not control. Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges
tried to clear the puck, but it bounced off Fabbri and past a
sprawling Ullmark.
"I didn't know where the puck was and I was just spinning around and
I looked and saw it was in the net and I put my hands up," Fabbri
said. "I didn't know who put it in or if it was me or not. It was
something crazy like that."
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Bylsma challenged the goal, claiming Brouwer was offside as center
David Backes carried the puck across the blue line. The goal was
upheld on replay.
"I was pretty confident it was offside," Bylsma said.
Brouwer beat Ullmark with a backhand from in front of the net to tie
the score 1-1 five minutes into the third period. Defenseman Kevin
Shattenirk extended his point streak to six games with an assist on
the goal, Brouwer's fifth of the season. Backes had the secondary
assist.
Buffalo built a 1-0 lead with 3:15 left in the second period when
Legwand gathered the puck from behind the net and backhanded it
between Allen's pads for the unassisted goal, which was Legwand's
first with the Sabres. Legwand last scored March 19 while playing
for Ottawa.
Neither team put a shot on goal through the first seven minutes, but
both teams managed eight shots by the end of the scoreless first
period.
The Sabres squandered a few early opportunities. They could only get
one shot to the net during the period's lone power play, and
O'Reilly and center Johan Larrson each hit the post on point-blank
shots within a three-minute span midway through the first.
"We had so many chances there that we got to put them away early
when we have them," O'Reilly said. "It's not good enough. It's
embarrassing."
NOTES: Blues C Paul Stastny returned to the lineup after missing 16
games with a broken foot. LW Jaden Schwartz (ankle) and C Patrik
Berglund (shoulder) remain out. ... Sabres C Zemgus Girgensons
missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury, and D
Mark Pysyk sat out his third straight game with a lower-body injury.
... St. Louis scratched D Joel Edmundson, RW Ryan Reaves and C Scott
Gomez. ... Buffalo scratched C Tim Schaller. ... This was the second
meeting between the teams in five days. St. Louis defeated Buffalo
3-2 in a shootout on Nov. 19.
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