ST. LOUIS -- Coach Ken Hitchcock hopes the combination of a lopsided loss, a day off and a good practice on Monday will result in a better performance when the St. Louis Blues host the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.Theres building times and this is it, Hitchcock told NHL.com. Weve got a real opportunity right now.The Blues have lost three games in a row and five of their last seven, including a 3-1 defeat at Nashville and an embarrassing 8-4 loss at Columbus on Saturday night, a game in which they trailed 7-1 at one point.Three of those recent losses came in games in which the Blues allowed five or more goals.Theres spots in games where were doing everything we want to do, then all of the sudden, things turn the other way and its going negative, said defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. Its got to come from within this room. Nobodys going to help us. Everythings getting magnified. Were not being as assertive as we usually are. You identify a check, you know thats youre guy and youre going to play him hard. If someone makes a mistake, youre there to help your teammate out right away.Were getting spread out in our end, were not communicating the way we need to communicate, and thats resulting in glaring opportunities, whereas in the past, if those were there, it didnt seem like they were obvious opportunities. I think when we get more assertive and play teams harder, be tougher to play against, its going to work in a positive direction.Jake Allen, who was pulled in the second period against the Blue Jackets after allowing four goals, will get the start in net against Buffalo.As a team, the Sabres can relate to what the Blues are going through. They are winless in their last four games, including both a shootout and an overtime loss. They have scored a combined four goals in those games.Just like the Blues, the Sabres have had a problem staying out of the penalty box. They have been called for five or more penalties in four of their last five games. The Blues have been called for the most minor penalties in the league (76) while Buffalo ranks 11th with 58 minor penalties.Weve got to stay out of the box, Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo told NHL.com. Thats something that needs to be addressed and needs to be executed. There are some penalties that you have to take and other ones that are just undisciplined penalties. Weve got to stay away from the undisciplined ones.Center Ryan OReilly, who has missed two of the last three games, could play against the Blues, according to coach Dan Bylsma. Buffalo still is expected to recall at least one forward and a defenseman from the minor leagues before Tuesday nights game.The Sabres have fallen to last in the NHL with an average of 1.93 goals per game.Maybe the biggest surprise is we havent got to the power play as much as we need to to get opportunities to score, Bylsma told the Buffalo News. We should be playing the way where teams have to take penalties against us. Given the lineup we have, we need to manufacture goals in a hard and difficult way. Darryl Williams Jersey Online . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Dave Croston Jersey Online . Denis Coderre, the former federal MP who was elected mayor on Nov. 3, has drawn the ire of some Montreal Canadiens. During last nights game he tweeted: "Hello? Can we get a one-way ticket to (minor-league) Hamilton for David Desharnais please. https://www.cheapjerseysatwholesale.com/ . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Bob Friedlund Jersey Online . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. Darnell Bing Jersey Online . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. NSW star Tyson Frizell has been ruled out of St George Illawarras final round NRL match against Newcastle due to a knee injury.Will Matthews comes into the Dragons side at Kogarah Oval on Saturday.ddddddddddddNewcastle have made no late changes. ' ' '