Buffalo looking to start off new season on the right foot
Buffalo Sabres (0-0-0) vs Columbus Blue Jackets (0-0-0)
Puck Drop: 7:00 pm ET | Nationwide Arena, Columbus OH
TV: CBJNHL, CBJHN, MSG-B, DAZN, ESPN+, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV
Radio: WGR 550, Sirius XM (app)
Know Your Opponent
Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 0-0-0 | 0 PTS (40-30-12 for 92pts) /last season
Last Game: N/A
Division Ranking: N/A
PP: 22nd, 18.9% (38/201) [Sabres: 21st, 19.5% (48/246)] /last season
PK: 28th, 76.0% (150/190) [Sabres: 5th, 82.8% (144/174)] /last season
Season Series: Sabres 1-1-1 Blue Jackets /last season
What to Watch
1. Sky-high Expectations
“With a rebel yell, more, more, more. More, more, more!”
With the playoff drought monkey finally off the Sabres’ backs, you would have thought that the Sabrehood would be somewhat sated. Instead, one would say expectations are absolutely sky-high going into tonight’s game. The fans are ready for a Cup-run and last season’s eventual elimination was just a blip in that timeline.
The Sabres are going to be hard-pressed to repeat that ridiculous late-season run – they went 29-9-5 from when the calendar turned to 2026, the best record in the league with only Stanley Cup champions Carolina Hurricanes one point behind them and everyone else chasing their dust.
2. Maintain The Level
Buffalo has gotten to their division-winning berth last season by playing high intensity hockey, and they will have to quickly find those levels this season too. The Sabres didn’t make any marquee additions over the offseason, and lost core players Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram. It looks like Olen Zellweger is being touted as the Byram replacement, but otherwise the expectation is that youngsters on the team are going to all make a respective step up.
Even more importantly, can the three-headed goalie monster replicate their incredible form from last season? Their .899 combined save percentage was second in the league and carried them to the playoffs.
3. A Pesky Opponent
Columbus have been a bit of a bogey team for the Sabres for some time now, their hard-hitting physical game has frustrated the Sabres often enough over the last few seasons with Buffalo 6-7-2 in the last five years. The Blue Jackets traded away Kirill Marchenko and Elvis Merzlikins and added Matthew Knies, and will have to decide who they really are as they seek a new identity.
Led by star defenseman Zach Werenski and young center Adam Fantilli and boosted by veterans Charlie Coyle, Sean Monahan and Valeri Nichushkin with another young playmaker in Kent Johnson, there’s still lots of talent in this side. Goalie Jet Greaves will be looking to make an impression too, this is a dangerous opponent.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Josh Norris – Tage Thompson – Josh Doan
Zach Benson – Noah Ostlund – Jack Quinn
Peyton Krebs – Ryan McLeod – Konsta Helenius
Jiri Kulich – Sam Carrick – Beck Malenstyn
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin – Mattias Samuelsson
Owen Power – Louis Crevier
Matt Grzelcyk – Zach Metsa
Goaltenders
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (projected starter), Colten Ellis
Columbus Blue Jackets
Forwards
Matthew Knies – Adam Fantilli – Kent Johnson
Valeri Nichushkin – Sean Monahan – Conor Garland
Cole Sillinger – Charlie Coyle – Mathieu Olivier
Ryan Lomberg – Dmitri Voronkov – Danton Heinen
Defense
Zach Werenski – Denton Mateychuk
Carson Soucy – Emil Andrae
Jake Christiansen – Erik Gudbranson
Goaltenders
Jet Greaves (confirmed starter), Cam Talbot