Sabres Look To Continue Hot Start in Columbus
Buffalo will have the ability to run their winning streak to three games on Monday night.
Game 3
Buffalo Sabres (2-0-0) at Columbus Blue Jackets (0-2-0)
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM EST | Nationwide Arena | Columbus, OH
TV: MSG-B
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Blue Jackets Blog: Jackets Cannon
Know Your Opponent
Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: (0-2-0) | 0 PTS
Last 10: 0-2-0
Division Ranking: 8th in Metropolitan Division
Conference Ranking: 16th in Eastern Conference
PP: 20th (16.7%)
PK: 23rd (66.67%)
What to Watch
Winless Jackets
Columbus comes into tonight’s game looking for their first win on the young season. After a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on opening night, their second outing was an ugly 7-2 loss to the rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
No doubt that the Blue Jackets will come out firing on all cylinders tonight but can they reverse their fortunes against the red-hot Sabres?
Fourth Line, Best Line?
Buffalo’s much-maligned fourth line has turned out to be one of their strongest shut-down lines through two games.
The Girgensons - Larsson - Okposo line has been the best overall with Corsi - ranking around 69% against the Penguins and around 74% against the Devils.
Kyle Okposo leads the Sabres with a Corsi For percentage at even strength of 77.8%. Johan Larsson is third on the team with 67.9% and Zemgus Girgensons is fourth with a 66.7%.
As they say - if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Victor the Great
Victor Olofsson came into this season with expectations the size of the moon. We knew he could score, judging by his cup of coffee in Buffalo along with his time in Rochester last season.
Last game against the Devils, Olofsson was showing off his greatest asset - his shot.
Through two games, Olofsson has two goals and one assist. It is clear that he is gelling with the uber-talented Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart.
The sky is truly the limit for this kid.
Game Prediction
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Victor Olofsson - Jack Eichel - Sam Reinhart
Jeff Skinner - Marcus Johansson - Vladimir Sobotka
Jimmy Vesey - Casey Mittelstadt - Conor Sheary
Zemgus Girgensons - Johan Larsson - Kyle Okposo
Defense
Rasmus Dahlin - Colin Miller
Jake McCabe - Rasmus Ristolainen
Marco Scandella - Henri Jokiharju
Starting Goaltender (projected): Carter Hutton
Columbus Blue Jackets
Forwards
Alexandre Texier - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Cam Atkinson
Nick Foligno - Boone Jenner - Josh Anderson
Gustav Nyquist - Alexander Wennberg - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Jakob Lilja - Riley Nash - Emil Bemstrom
Defense
Ryan Murray - Seth Jones
Zach Werenski - David Savard
Scott Harrington - Markus Nutivaara
Starting Goaltender: Starting Goaltender (projected): Joonas Korpisalo