Sabres Look to Sting The Blue Jackets Tonight
Buffalo travels to the Jackets’ nest in Columbus to wrap up their regular season series.
Game 51
Buffalo Sabres (16-26-8) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (24-23-1)
Puck Drop: 6:00 PM EST | Nationwide Arena | Columbus, OH
TV: MSG-B
Radio: WGR 550
SB Nation Blue Jackets’ Blog: The Cannon
Know Your Opponent
Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: (24-23-1)
Division Ranking: 5th in Metropolitan Division
PP: 23rd (17.5%)
PK: 14th (80.3%)
What to Watch
1. Streaking Blue Jackets are Flying.
The Blue Jackets are 4-1 in their last 5 games and will look to keep firing the cannon against a Sabres team coming off a hard fought loss to the league leading Colorado Avalanche. Meanwhile Buffalo is 2-2-1 in their last 5, including a 4-3 OT loss to these Columbus Blue Jackets. The only other meeting between these two clubs this season ended in a 7-4 win for the Jackets.
2. Columbus Scoring Swarm.
The Blue Jackets, very aptly, have a swarm of scoring threats in their lineup. Columbus has 6 players with 30 or more points on the season, led by their captain, Boone Jenner with 37. By comparison, the Sabres have 3 players with 30+ points, led by centreman Tage Thompson’s 37.
3. Tricky Tage
Speaking of Tage Thompson, the big man picked up his first career hat trick against the Avs last night...
LET THOSE HATS FLY! 🎩🎩🎩#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/0MlZgqD43G
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 19, 2022
Thompson is looking every bit like the power center that the Sabres envisioned when they traded for big # 72 in a package deal that sent winger Ryan O’Reilly off to St. Louis in 2018. With Thompson centering Tuch and Skinner, the Sabres 1st line is taking shape with a blend of size and scoring that’s looking extremely promising.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
J. Skinner - T. Thompson - A. Tuch
P. Krebs - D. Cozens - V. Olofsson
K. Okposo - C. Mittelstadt - R. Asplund
A. Bjork - C. Eakin - J. Hayden
Defense
H. Jokiharju - R. Dahlin
M. Pysyk - J. Bryson
C. Fitzgerald - M.Samuelsson
Starting Goalie: C. Anderson
Columbus Blue Jackets
Forwards
P. Laine - B. Jenner - O. Bjorkstrand
J. Voracek - C. Sillinger - Y. Chinakhov
G. Nyquist - S. Kuraly - M. Domi
B. Gaunce - J. Roslovic - J. Danforth
Defense
Z. Werenski - A. Peeke
V. Gavrikov - A. Boqvist
G. Bayreuther - D. Kukan
Starting Goalie: J.F. Berube