TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES The St. Louis Blues have bounced back from an early rough patch in historic fashion. After beating the Anaheim Ducks for the second time in a row on Monday, the Blues are now on a seven-game win streak - the most in NHL history following eight straight losses.
"You gotta work your way out of it," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said on the mentality it took to turn things around. "It's not just gonna be given to you. It's not just gonna happen."
Justin Faulk and Noel Acciari provided the scoring for the Blues on Monday, which included Faulk's game-winner on the power play with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. The 3-1 victory stretched the team's goal differential to plus-14 through the seven-game win streak.
The Blues look to build on this recent momentum when they set off for a three-game road trip to the Eastern Conference, beginning Wednesday night in Buffalo and continuing to Florida to face both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers following the Thanksgiving holiday.
After Monday's game, the Blues are now 10-8-0, worth 20 points and fourth place in the Central Division.
SABRES After starting the season an impressive 7-3, the Buffalo Sabres were looking at their own eight-game losing streak when they rebounded for a 7-2 win in Montreal on Tuesday night. Finally seeing the goals go through the net again, the Sabres are looking to recapture that early-season momentum when they host the Blues.
Through their first 10 games, Buffalo was No. 2 in the NHL in goals scored per game (4.30), but fell to No. 29 during their losing streak. The Blues know as well as anyone, however, that momentum can be a powerful tool in this League and the Sabres will bring their best when they host the Blues at KeyBank Center.
Tage Thompson - acquired from the Blues in the 2018 trade for Ryan O'Reilly - has had an impressive start to the season, as has 22-year-old defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. Thompson became the 11th player in franchise history to notch a six-point game earlier this year, going for a hat trick and three assists as the Sabres beat the Red Wings on Halloween.
The Sabres host the Blues with a record of 8-11-0, worth 16 points and seventh place in the Atlantic Division.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues went 2-0 against Buffalo last season, scoring 11 goals across the two games. Their last trip to Buffalo was an impressive one, seeing a hat trick from Vladimir Tarasenko and five-point nights from both him and Robert Thomas.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Justin Faulk, on pace for a career-best point total with 14 in 18 games so far this season. In 25 career games against the Sabres, Faulk has six goals and eight assists for 14 total points.
SABRES Rasmus Dahlin, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 NHL Draft who is playing like one of the League's best defensemen. His 23 points share No. 2 in the League among blueliners, with five in his last four games.
BLUE NOTES
The Blues are 15-2-1 in their last 18 games against Buffalo... Jordan Binnington's next win will be his 100th career victory, seeking to be the sixth goaltender in franchise history to reach the milestone. Binnington is currently on pace to be the third fastest all-time (99 wins in 176 GP)... Since their winning streak began, the Blues are first in the NHL in wins (seven) and goals (29)... The Sabres will debut their new third jersey on Wednesday, an homage to the black and red "Goathead" sweaters they wore from 1996-2006.
The St. Louis Blues will ride momentum into their game at Buffalo on Wednesday, while the Sabres will bring a sense of relief.
St. Louis finds itself on a seven-game winning streak and hasn't lost since Nov. 8.
"Winning cures everything, everyone feels better about it," Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly said. "We have that belief back in our group and it's exciting. It's fun coming to the rink."
The Sabres are coming off a 7-2 road victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday that snapped an eight-game losing streak.
"It has taken a weight off my shoulders, I can tell you that, personally," Sabres coach Don Granato said after the game. "It's great. It's fun to see the guys play that way, obviously. Lots of guys, I mean, they care and they work. We're young.
"You see the care behind the scenes. It's really nice to see them enjoy this tonight."
The Blues know how the Sabres have felt. Prior to the current winning streak, St. Louis lost a team-record eight consecutive games in regulation while getting outscored 38-12.
"When things aren't going well and you're losing, it's tough coming to the rink," O'Reilly said. "Everything's negative, you're watching video and it's negative, you're not doing what you what you want to do, so it's clearly a different feel in here and it's something we want to keep maintaining and keep building it and still we've got a lot of work left. Win the next game and go from there."
During their winning streak, the Blues have outscored their opponents 30-16.
"Just the way we're playing the game as a team is a lot stronger," St. Louis center Robert Thomas said. "And once you're winning, you're a little bit looser, more relaxed and that also helps you create more chances offensively."
St. Louis winger Jordan Kyrou has two goals and six assists in his past five games. Goaltender Jordan Binnington has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his past five starts.
The Blues got defenseman Colton Parayko (upper-body injury) back in the lineup Monday for their 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks after he missed three games. They could get winger Vladimir Tarasenko (illness) back for the Wednesday game, but defenseman Torey Krug (upper-body injury) is questionable.
"We thought it was best (Krug) stay off again today and then get a skate tomorrow and see how he feels," Blues coach Craig Berube said after Tuesday's practice.
Forward Tyson Jost made his Sabres debut Tuesday after arriving from Minnesota on a waiver claim, and winger Zemgus Girgensons returned after sitting out one game due to an undisclosed reason.
Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson was back in the lineup after missing a month with a lower-body injury, rejoining Rasmus Dahlin on the top pairing.
"He's a presence within the locker room, he's a presence on the ice," Granato said. "He's an incredible athlete -- size, speed, strength, agility. And he tiers everybody down in the sense that he comes in, he plays with Dahlin, that means nobody has to move up and fill that spot."
Buffalo goaltender Craig Anderson started in Montreal, making 29 saves for the win. Eric Comrie is sidelined by a lower-body injury, so Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen could get the call against the Blues.
