Fansided

Buffalo Sabres Pregame Versus Columbus Blue Jackets

By Adam Savard |

The Buffalo Sabres finish their road schedule tonight in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.  By the end of this game, Buffalo Sabres fans hope to finally cross the last place finish line and secure no worse than the second pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Buffalo is coming off a 4-3 home victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in which Anders Lindback stopped 49 of 52 shots, holding on after the Sabres jumped out to a 4-0 lead.  Lindback will start tonight, leading a Buffalo Sabres team intent on finishing the season strong despite fans rooting for the opposite.

One change on defense for the Buffalo Sabres tonight as Andre Benoit is out with an upper-body injury.  Taking his place from Rochester is Chad Ruhwedel, who in two games with the blue and gold this season has one assist and is plus two.  Facts that will make a group of Sabres fans wonder why he’s playing at all given whats at stake.

Not that any of that matters to the players.  Mikhail Grigorenko, Johan Larsson and Lindback are among a number of Buffalo Sabres players thinking about next seasons employer, be it in Buffalo or not.  Going out on a three-game winning streak and the pride at stake in not finishing as a last-place team should have the Sabres ready to compete hard, a hallmark of Ted Nolan teams.

Standing in their way tonight are one of the hottest teams in the NHL.  The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost once in their last eleven games, that a shootout defeat to the Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers.  In their last game the Jackets hammered the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-0.  That game could have ended 10-0 if not for posts hit and some difficult saves made.

Starting in goal for the Blue Jackets is not Anton Forsberg, whom the Buffalo Sabres beat 4-2 in their last visit to Columbus on February 24th.  The backup barrage stops tonight as Sergei Bobrovsky gets the nod in the Jackets last home game of the year.  Despite this only being his 49th start due to injuries, Bobrovsky will try to win his 30th game this season.

The Blue Jackets are finally healthy and showing what they have been capable of all season, outscoring opponents 47-26 in their recent run.  Included in that stretch is a 6-1 mark against teams whom have clinched playoff spots coming into tonight.  The fact the Blue Jackets may win the lottery ahead of the Buffalo Sabres with a roster already loaded with Nick Foligno, Ryan Johansen and Scott Hartnell among others should concern the entire NHL.

Tonight I expect the Buffalo Sabres to hit the ice motivated and with purpose.  No player wants to finish last in the league and guys like Tyler Ennis surely don’t want that mantle two years in a row.  But they will.  The puck drops at 7pm tonight and by the final horn, I expect the Columbus Blue Jackets to defeat the Buffalo Sabres by a 4-1 score.

Next: Buffalo Sabres, Top Free Agents Going Into 2015-16 Season

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