Let's Go Blues

BLUES The excitement at TD Garden on Tuesday began right at puck drop. Both the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins, in a rematch of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, scored in the game's opening minute.

In what was a poetic return to the lineup - missing 10 games due to injury and returning against his former team on his 31st birthday - Torey Krug quickly made an impact, notching a goal and an assist on the ice he used to call home.

"It was fun," said Krug. "Obviously, a lot of different emotions throughout the day. It's been a while since I've been back here in the building, and it was capped off pretty nicely with a win for us."

The 4-2 win was the Blues' sixth in a row, marking their longest win streak of the season and extending their point streak to nine games (8-0-1). During this red-hot stretch, the team has scored at least four or more goals in every game - more than doubling their previous best streak.

Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich continued to tear it up as linemates, extending their point streaks by assisting Vladimir Tarasenko's 27th and 28th goals of the season.

With the offense clicking, and the defense returning to full strength - Krug only played one game with new blueliner Nick Leddy before being sidelined - the Blues will take their talents to Buffalo to try and keep the momentum going.

The Blues enter Thursday's matchup tied with Minnesota at 96 points - though the Wild has a game in hand to break the tie - for second in the Central Division, owning a record of 43-20-10.

SABRES Though the Buffalo Sabres have recently been eliminated from Playoff contention for an NHL-record 11th consecutive season, they have reason to be optimistic about the future.

Tage Thompson - acquired from the Blues in the trade for Ryan O'Reilly - has been leading an impressive group of young forwards. Six of the Sabres' Top 10 point scorers this year are 25 years old or younger, and only one is over 30.

Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, 21, has a career-high 46 points, 20-year-old Dylan Cozens has 36 points, and 25-year-old Alex Tuch and 21-year-old Peyton Krebs have been productive since coming to Buffalo from Vegas earlier this year.

The young Sabres also put together a strong run in March, collecting an eight-game point streak as part of a 7-1-3 stretch.

Buffalo is fresh off an impressive win over the Playoff-bound Toronto Maple Leafs, getting goals from five different skaters and snapping a 16-game point streak from superstar Auston Matthews. The win came at the end of a tremendously challenging road trip that went through Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay before heading to Toronto.

Buffalo will host the Blues on Thursday with a record of 27-37-11, worth 65 points and sixth place in the Atlantic Division.

HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues beat the Sabres 5-3 earlier this season at Enterprise Center, and Thursday's game will wrap up the season series.

The Blues are 5-1-1 in their last seven matchups against Buffalo and last visited the Sabres on Dec. 10, 2019.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Robert Thomas has been sensational during his 10-game point streak, currently the second longest active streak in the League. He's scored six of his 18 goals on the season and dished out 12 assists during this run.

SABRES Tage Thompson notched his 33rd goal of the season in Tuesday's win over the Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old forward has eight points in his last seven games, and scored a power-play goal in St. Louis earlier this season.

BLUE NOTES
Ville Husso has won seven consecutive starts, going 7-0-1 in his last eight appearances with a .935 save percentage... The Blues are 14-for-14 on penalty kills in their last nine games, dating back to March 28... Buchnevich has an active seven-game point streak, his highest as a Blue, which also matches the highest in his career... Tarasenko leads the Blues with eight game-winning goals, matching his career-best mark set in 2016-17.

The streaking St. Louis Blues will try to extend their point streak to 10 games Thursday when they visit the Buffalo Sabres.

The Blues (43-20-10, 96 points) are 8-0-1 in their last nine games, and entered Wednesday's games tied for second place in the Central Division and home-ice advantage for a first-round playoff series.

The Sabres (27-37-11, 65 points) got goals Tuesday from five different players in snapping a three-game losing streak, 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Blues defeated the Sabres 5-3 on Feb. 25 in their previous meeting. Jordan Kyrou had two goals and an assist in that game for the Blues while Dylan Cozens and Kyle Okposo each had a goal and an assist for Buffalo.

St. Louis welcomed defenseman Torey Krug back to the lineup Tuesday in its 4-2 victory at Boston. Krug, who missed 10 games with a hand injury, scored a goal and added an assist against the Bruins.

"He was great all night," Blues winger David Perron said. "It's amazing how quick he is with his decision-making up top. Even his goal, you don't see a defenseman too often come in the way he did and score. There were reads he made all over the ice offensively. He's just another guy who I think his compete level is there and he's bigger than he looks out there, so it was great to have him back."

Krug jumped back into his role a power-play quarterback.

"He adds so much to the lineup, his poise, the plays he makes, the way he competes, he just does so many good things for us and it makes us just that much better," Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly said. "So to have him back, it's something we're always looking forward to and excited."

The Sabres also upgraded their defense on Tuesday. Defenseman Owen Power, the first overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, made his debut for Buffalo after concluding his season at the University of Michigan.

"I mean, it's something you dream of as a kid all growing up," Power said. "It definitely was a little different."

Sabres coach Don Granato gave him 19:50 of playing time against Toronto and Power finished plus-2.

"I had no anxiety with him because I've watched him play so much," Granato said. "He is a No. 1 pick overall, an elite player. Honestly, he has such a calm to him and such a presence to him, you see his ability to almost slow the game down around him. I've watched that in him, that presence in him for such a long time. I just knew he would get a feel for the pace and everything right away."

Power's teammates quickly recognized his poise.

"Right away, there's no panic in his game," forward Alex Tuch said. "I feel like he's been in the league 10 years already and it's his first game."