Blues pull away from Sabres

ST. LOUIS -- Jaden Schwartz and Kyle Brodziak each scored 1:35 apart in the third period to help the St. Louis Blues defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 at Scottrade Center on Tuesday.
Schwartz scored 44 seconds into the third to give the Blues a 2-1 lead, following up a Dmitrij Jaskin move to the net, and Brodziak scored at 2:19 by redirecting a backhand pass from Ryan Reaves from the low slot.
Robby Fabbri and Scottie Upshall also scored for St. Louis (8-6-3), which won for the fifth time in the past 14 games (5-6-3). Jake Allen made 23 saves after getting pulled Saturday when he allowed four goals on 12 shots in an 8-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

WATCH: All Sabres vs. Blues highlights
The Blues got back to their blue-collar style of playing physical but doing so without running around and chasing hits.
"Playing physical but playing patient," Reaves said. "We talked about not running around again. We got away from that two games ago. I think when we're physical, but we're in good position, it makes them run around and second-guess what they're doing back there. I think we did a good job of that."
The Blues have won nine in a row against the Sabres and 19 of the past 21 games.
"I thought as the game went along, our puck support got better and better," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We started to play the short game, the team game. It was more effective as it went along.
"... We had a great start to the third period, and played well in the third."
The Sabres (5-7-4) lost for the third straight time on the road after starting 4-1-2. Robin Lehner made 27 saves and Sam Reinhart scored.

Buffalo has scored two or fewer goals in eight straight games; they've scored 10 total in that span.
"We're strapped for goals," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. "We're strapped for opportunities to get the goal and it's not for a lack of effort. Guys are throwing it out there and giving everything they got. We feel like at this time, we need to fight to get that kind of odd goal to break us out."
Each team converted power-play opportunities in the first period.
Reinhart put the Sabres ahead 1-0 at 7:55 when he was able to score on a rebound of a shot by Matt Moulson from the left circle, a puck that appeared to carom off the stick of Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. It was the second power-play goal the Blues' top-ranked penalty kill allowed on home ice in 35 chances.
Fabbri made it 1-1 at 10:58 after the Sabres were called for too many men on the ice. He followed up a rebound of a shot by Vladimir Tarasenko from the left circle to make. It was Fabbri's third goal in two games after being a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career.
Upshall scored into an empty net with 1:26 remaining.

Goal of the game

Jaskin received a stretch pass from Kevin Shattenkirk and used his size to make a hard, quick move at Lehner from the right. Schwartz made a move to the net to clean the play up and it got the Blues off and running.

Save of the game

Lehner denied Fabbri the opening goal in the first period by making a glove save on a shot from the slot with 10:01 remaining.

Highlight of the game

Reaves has set up both linemates with beautiful saucer backhand passes this season. He led Brodziak perfectly to the slot, and the center redirected the shot over Lehner to give the Blues a 3-1 lead.

Unsung moment of the game

Lehner did all he could to give the Sabres a chance, and his point-blank save on Blues center Patrik Berglund during a Buffalo power play 1:10 into the second period kept it 1-1.

They said it

"When you get bounces like that, it's pretty good. [Lehner] had a nice glove save on me before that, so I just wanted to make sure I put this one in." -- Blues left wing Robby Fabbri on his goal
"We had some opportunities. We created some chances. We're not burying them. We've got to find ways and we've got to keep digging. At the same time, we should be comfortable being in a one to one game in the third period." -- Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges

Need to know

Steen did not play the third period because of an undisclosed injury. He hit his head on the glass in the corner of the Buffalo zone after a check from Gorges in the second. ... Shattenkirk and Colton Parayko each had two assists for St. Louis.

What's next

Sabres: Home against Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, SUN, NHL.TV)
Blues: Home against San Jose Sharks on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FS-MW, CSN-CA, NHL.TV)