Preview: Blues at Sabres

BLUES AT SABRES

TEAM SNAPSHOTS

BLUES Vince Dunn scored twice and Pat Maroon had a goal and an assist Saturday, helping the Blues snap a three-game winless streak with a 5-1 victory against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
Jordan Binnington set a new career-high with 40 saves.
"We had a lot of emotion," Binnington said. "I think that's important this time of year. We were playing hard for each other."
"I thought we started the game off really well, which is a key here in this rink," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube said. "I thought that we got the puck in deep, went to work, controlled the play in the offensive zone. That was a big key, I think, for us tonight."
SABRES Jeff Skinner and Zemgus Girgensons scored for the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, but it wouldn't be enough as the Sabres fell 4-2 at PNC Arena.
The Sabres have just two goals in the last four games. Prior to Saturday, they had been shutout in three straight.
"I mean, it's a tough league to score in," Sabres forward Jason Pominville told NHL.com after a 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday. "You've got to pay a price to get to the net, and we've got to get pucks there. Right now, we're definitely not doing it enough."
Linus Ullmark started Saturday for the Sabres, meaning the Blues could see Carter Hutton on Sunday.
The Sabres, who posted a 10-game winning streak in November, are 30-32-9 this season with 69 points. Buffalo was 15 points out of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference as of Saturday night.
HEAD-TO-HEAD Sunday's matchup will be the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Blues beat the Sabres 4-1 in the first meeting on Dec. 27 in St. Louis.
The Blues have won three straight games against the Sabres and are 12-1-0 in their last 13 games in Buffalo. Dating back to Jan. 27, 1998, the Blues have earned points in 24 of their 27 matchups with the Sabres (22-3-2-0).

O'REILLY'S RETURN

Ryan O'Reilly will make his first return back to Buffalo since joining the Blues in the offseason. The Blues sent a 2019 first-round pick, a 2021 second-round pick, Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thomspon to the Sabres in the deal.
O'Reilly spent three seasons with Buffalo, posting 176 points (65 goals, 111 assists) in 224 games in Buffalo.
Earlier this week, O'Reilly said he had "no idea" what kind of reception he would get Sunday from Sabres fans.
"I don't know what to really expect," O'Reilly said. "I've been traded before, it helps a lot knowing it's going to be weird to be in that building but at the end of the day, it's two points that we need and just focus on my game that way… it's another game, and another game that will be important for points."

HOT VS. BUFFALO

• O'Reilly has a seven-game point streak (three goals, six assists)
• Jaden Schwartz has eight points in eight career games (two goals, six assists)
• Brayden Schenn has eight points in his last 10 games (six goals, two assists)
• Jake Allen is 6-1-0 with a .947 save-percentage, a 1.40 goals-against average and one shutout in seven career starts against the Sabres.

BLUE NOTES

Alexander Steen is expected to dress in his 700th career game as a Blue, becoming just the sixth player in franchise history to reach that mark… The Blues are 10-3-2 in their last 15 road games.