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Sabres Look to Sting The Blue Jackets Tonight

Posted on by Bryan W.

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…

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

Talking Points