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Game 49
Buffalo Sabres (24-18-6) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (28-17-3)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM | Nationwide Arena | Columbus, OH
TV: MSG-B
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Blue Jackets Blog: Jackets Cannon
Know Your Opponent
Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: (28-17-3) | 59 points
Last 10: 6-4-0
Division Ranking: 3rd in the Metro Division
Conference Ranking: 6th in the Eastern Conference
PP: 27th (14.6 %)
PK: 8th (82.9 %)
What to Watch
1. Four Point Game
Tonight is a big game in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Jackets are five points up on the Sabres with 59 points. A loss today puts the Jackets seven points up and a win gets them within three with the same amount of games played.
2. Matchup of two top lines
Two of the best lines in the league will be on the ice tonight. We already know how dangerous the Skinner, Eichel, and Reinhart line can be. The Blue Jackets will counter with Panarin, Dubois, and Atkinson. Those three have combined for 63 goals and 144 points this season.
3. Defense change
Phil Housley confirmed this morning that Matt Hunwick and Marco Scandella will play tonight. Lawrence Pilut and Nathan Beaulieu will be scratched. We’ll see how that plays out for Housley.
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Jeff Skinner - Jack Eichel - Sam Reinhart
Conor Sheary - Casey Mittelstadt - Evan Rodrigues
Tage Thompson - Vladimir Sobotka - Jason Pominville
Zemgus Girgensons - Johan Larsson - Kyle Okposo
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin - Zach Bogosian
Jake McCabe - Rasmus Ristolainen
Matt Hunwick - Marco Scandella
Starting Goaltender: Carter Hutton
Columbus Blue Jackets
Forwards
Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno - Markus Hannikainen - Josh Anderson
Brandon Dubinsky - Alexander Wennberg - Anthony Duclair
Oliver Bjorkstrand - Riley Nash - Lukas Sedlak
Defense
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Ryan Murray - Markus Nutivaara
Scott Harrington - David Savard
Starting Goaltender: Sergei Bobrovsky