Columbus Blue Jackets @ Buffalo Sabres
Tuesday, December 19, 2023 – 7:00 PM ET
KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
TV: Bally’s Sports Ohio – Radio: WBNS FM
Opponent’s blog: Die by the Blade
Columbus Blue Jackets, 10-17-5, 25 points, 8th Metro, 15th East
@
Buffalo Sabres, 13-16-3, 29 points, 7th Atlantic, 13th East
The Columbus Blue Jackets were, according to their General Manager, supposed to be playoff competitive this season. So were the Buffalo Sabres, according to their front office and many around the league. Instead, both sit in the bottom 25% of the Eastern Conference as fans grow restless – seasons that were supposed to be steps forward instead have given way to disappointment. Can either team use a victory in tonight’s game to springboard back vaguely into the playoff conversation, or will tonight’s game merely be another footnote in one team’s disappointing march to the draft lottery?
Player to Watch
IDK, my bff Jill?
Real talk, I’m not sure who to feature here. Tage Thompson has disappointed this year after a breakout season last season. There aren’t really any Jackets worth featuring right now. The Sabres’ leading scorer is Casey Mittlestadt with 8-17-25 in 32 games. So, with no idea if he’s starting in this one, let’s pick Devon Levi. Levi was billed as the missing piece for the Sabres this season, struggled a bit (as 22 year old goalies do), and got sent to hthe AHL before his recall a few days ago. He has a 6-4-2 record this year with an .898 SV% and a 3.07 GAA. If Levi puts it together long term, Buffalo could contend. If he is thrown to the flames too early, he might never be the player he could be. Buffalo needs to be careful with their prize prospect, but I cannot wait to watch him play the game.
Jackets Notes
The Blue Jackets placed Patrik Laine on IR on Monday, opening a roster spot following his injury … Laine is expected to miss six weeks with a broken clavicle … Following Laine’s injury, the Jackets brought up Brendan Gaunce from Cleveland on emergency recall … Gaunce has 5-3-8 with 14 PIM in 35 career appearances for the Blue Jackets … Johnny Gaudreau’s assist on Saturday was the 700th point of his career
The Other Bench
Jack Quinn looks poised to make his season debut for the Sabres, having skated with Tage Thompson and Zach Benson at practice on Monday … Alex Tuch missed practice with a maintanence day as he looks to recover from a lingering injury … Buffalo was most recently shut out on the road by the Arizona Coyotes despite outshooting the Coyotes 28-22 … Devon Levi is 3-0-1 in his last 4 starts for the Sabres, boasting a .942 save percentage
Season Series
12/19/2023 CBJ @ BUF
12/30/2023 CBJ @ BUF
02/23/2024 BUF @ CBJ
Stats
| Buffalo | Columbus | |
| 2.81 (26) | GPG | 3.00 (19) |
| 3.25 (21) | GAPG | 3.63 (31) |
| 13.3 (26) | PP% | 15.4 (25) |
| 81.2 (12) | PK% | 84.3 (7) |
| 49.71 (15) | 5v5 Shot Attempt % | 46.35 (27) |
| 50.56 (15) | 5v5 Unblocked Shot Attempt % | 46.74 (26) |
| 8.87 (12) | 5v5 Shooting % | 9.41 (9) |
| .900 (29) | 5v5 Save % | .906 (21) |
| John-Jason Peterka, Jeff Skinner, 12 | G Leader | Boone Jenner, 13 |
| Rasmus Dahlin, 18 | A Leader | Zach Werenski, 22 |
| Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittlestadt, 25 | P Leader | Zach Werenski, 23 |
| Connor Clifton 44 | PIM Leader | Erik Gudbranson, 44 |
| 6-7-1 | Home/Road | 3-8-3 |
| 3-6-1 | Last 10 | 4-5-1 |
Projected Lines
Columbus Blue Jackets
| Johnny Gaudreau | Adam Fantilli | Justin Danforth |
| Yegor Chinakhov | Dmitri Voronkov | Kirill Marchenko |
| Emil Bemstrom | Cole Sillinger | Kent Johnson |
| Alexandre Texier | Sean Kuraly | Mathieu Olivier |
| Zach Werenski | Nick Blankenberg |
| Ivan Provorov | David Jiricek |
| Andrew Peeke | Erik Gudbranson |
| Elvis Merzlikins |
| Spencer Martin |
Buffalo Sabres
| Zach Benson | Tage Thompson | Jack Quinn |
| Casey Mittlestadt | Dylan Cozens | JJ Peterka |
| Ryan Johnson | Tyson Jost | Victor Olofsson |
| Eric Robinson | Peyton Krebs | Kyle Okposo |
| Rasmus Dahlin | Mattias Samuelsson |
| Owen Power | Henri Jokiharju |
| Erik Johnson | Connor Clifton |
| Devon Levi |
| Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen |