‘Last season’s game here between the Sabres and Blues was a microcosm for how the season changed for both teams. When the Sabres took the ice here on Dec. 27, 2018, they were 15 points ahead of the Blues in the NHL’s overall standing (47-32). The game, a 4-1 St. Louis victory, came a little more than a week before the Blues changed their season by calling up goaltender Jordan Binnington from the minor leagues. Starting from the night they met, the teams had a 38-point turnaround as St. Louis finished with 99 en route to its eventual run to the Cup and the Sabres finished with just 76 and sent coach Phil Housley packing. St. Louis was 31-12-5 in that stretch and Buffalo was just 12-28-5.’