Thomas, Bozak lead Blues to 5-1 勝利，勝つ over Sabres
ST. LOUIS (AP) - Robert Thomas is 証明するing to be a 急速な／放蕩な learner.
Thomas and Tyler Bozak each had a goal and two 補助装置s, and the St. Louis Blues （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 on Thursday night.
Alexander Steen had two goals and an 補助装置 and David Perron also 得点する／非難する／２０d for the Blues, who won their eighth straight against the Sabres on home ice. Jordan Binnington made 18 saves, running his 記録，記録的な／記録する to 21-7-4.
The 20-year-old Thomas has 設立する chemistry playing on a line with 退役軍人s Bozak and Steen. The line 連合させるd for nine points against the Sabres.
"They always make the 権利 play," Thomas said. "Such smart players. It makes it 平易な on me. I can try a couple of things and just 肉親，親類d of learn from them."
Thomas´ three points equaled a career high. He has eight points in his last seven games.
St. Louis Blues' David Perron celebrates after 得点する／非難する／２０ing during the second period of an NHL ホッケー game against the Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
"He´s a kid who will keep getting better," Bozak said. "It´s fun to be a part of, fun to watch. I´ve been lucky in my career to play with a lot of young really good players and see them grow and he´s just on the same path like a lot of those guys."
Jack Eichel 得点する／非難する／２０d and Linus Ullmark made 26 saves for the Sabres, who won their previous two games.
"Everybody needs to get hungrier to shoot on 逮捕する," Sabres coa ch Ralph Krueger said. "I think we still give up too many 適切な時期s, our D and our 今後s, to try to make a play, and the other thing will be to get 団体／死体s there."
Thomas gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at the 4:47 示す of the first period when he squeezed a wrist 発射 from the 権利 circle through traffic. Steen got an 補助装置, his 300th with the Blues.
"We just keep coming on teams," Thomas said. "When we´re playing the 権利 way it just seems like an endless forecheck and endless 圧力 and when we do that we´re a 堅い team to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域."
Bozak made it 2-0 with 6:31 left in the first off a one-timer 始める，決める up by Thomas, who made a nifty move behind the 逮捕する to start the sequence. Niko Mikkola also got an 補助装置 for his first NHL point.
Eichel got the Sabres on the board at 4:22 of the second period. It was his 27th goal of the season and fourth in his last four games against St. Louis.
"We just didn't 侵入する," Eichel said. "I don't think we made good 決定／判定勝ち（する）s with the puck. We turned it over too much and that's it."
Perron´s 力／強力にする-play goal 中途の through the second 回復するd the Blues´ two-goal lead, 3-1. Perron has 15 points (seven goals, eight 補助装置s) in his last 11 games, and the St. Louis 力／強力にする play has at least one goal in seven of its last nine games.
The Blues appeared to take a 4-1 lead late in the second on a goal by Jaden Schwartz, but after a Sabres challenge it was waived off when Jordan Kyrou was 支配するd offside.
Steen did make it 4-1 at 5:36 of the third period, burying Thomas' 料金d into an open 逮捕する after a wild 緊急発進する. It was his first goal of the season.
"I think when we can help him create a little bit more space and he´s been able to hang の上に the puck like that, I think the last three games or so he´s been incredible," Steen said of Thomas. "He´s very 平易な to play with."
Steen 追加するd an empty-netter with 4:42 left.
"I thought we were pretty good defensively all-around," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "I thought that we had 緊急 in the D zone and 圧力ing and not giving them time. We talked about not giving this team time and space with the puck, and I thought we did a good 職業 of it."
NOTES: The Blues won their seventh straight home game, tying Dallas for the longest such streak in the NHL this season. ... RW Michael Frolik made his Sabres debut. Frolik was acquired in a 貿易（する） with Calgary on Jan. 2. ... The Blues are 20-0-5 when 得点する／非難する／２０ing first this season and are the only team in the league without a 規則 loss in that シナリオ. ... The Sabres placed 今後 勝利者 Olofsson (lower 団体／死体) on 負傷させるd reserve Wednesday. Olofsson, who leads NHL rookies with 35 points, is 推定する／予想するd to 行方不明になる five to six weeks.
UP NEXT
Sabres: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Blues: Host the New York 特別奇襲隊員s on Saturday.
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St. Louis Blues' David Perron smiles after 得点する／非難する／２０ing during the second period of an NHL ホッケー game against the Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington, left, stops a 発射 by Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel (9) during the second period of an NHL ホッケー game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Blues' Brayden Schenn (10) 扱うs the puck as Buffalo Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark (35), of Finland, watches during the second period of an NHL ホッケー game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Blues' Alexander Steen (20) 得点する／非難する／２０s past Buffalo Sabres' Curtis Lazar (27), Lawrence Pilut (24) and Rasmus Ristolainen (55) during the third period of an NHL ホッケー game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Buffalo Sabres' Kyle Okposo shoots during the third period of an NHL ホッケー game against the St. Louis Blues, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Buffalo Sabres' Marcus Johansson, of Sweden, passes the puck during the third period of an NHL ホッケー game against the St. Louis Blues, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Linus Ullmark, of Finland, dives to 封鎖する a 発射 during the third period of an NHL ホッケー game against the St. Louis Blues, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
