Game Preview #2(x) - Blue Jackets vs. Sabres
The Jackets play a split-squad tonight, with Buffalo coming to Nationwide.
Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets
September 17, 2013 - 7:00pm EDT
Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio
Radio - WBNS 1460 AM - TV - None
Opponents Blog: Die By The Blade
SBNation Game Page
Tickets
The Jackets kick off their second night of exhibition hockey with a split squad effort at home versus Buffalo. For the game in Columbus, the Jackets will find themselves in a pretty good looking goaltender matchup for the first two periods: Sergei Bobrovsky makes his pre-season debut, and the Sabres are sending Ryan Miller to town.
Otherwise, the Sabres' lineup is pretty bare with the exception of the "required" good players that have to go on the road. Some names of note include Thomas Vanek, Christian Erhoff, Cody Hodgson, and Miller. Some prospect names to watch include 2012 first rounder Mikhail Grigorenko, Joel Armia, and an interesting family matchup between the Jackets' Nick Foligno and his younger brother Marcus, who will be playing for Buffalo tonight.
The Jackets will have some regulars, but are definitely going with a younger lineup at home tonight, with several guys making their pre-season debuts.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
(1-0-0 in pre-season)
| Josh Anderson | Boone Jenner | R.J. Umberger |
| Nick Foligno | Artem Anisimov | Oliver Bjorkstrand |
| Jonathan Audy-Marchessault | Derek MacKenzie | Jared Boll |
| Spencer Machacek | Andrew Joudrey | Nick Moutrey |
| Tim Erixon | David Savard |
| Fedor Tyutin | Jack Johnson |
| Patrick McNeill | Frederic St-Denis |
| Sergei Bobrovsky |
| Mike McKenna |
Buffalo Sabres
(1-0-0 in pre-season)
| Marcus Foligno | Cody Hodgson | Thomas Vanek |
| Zemgus Girgensons | Mikhail Grigorenko | Corey Tropp |
| Tyler Ennis | Johan Larsson | Joel Armia |
| John Scott | Matt Ellis | Jamie Tardif |
| Christian Ehrhoff | Tyler Myers |
| Alexander Sulzer | Jerome Gauthier-Leduc |
| Brayden McNabb | Chad Ruhwedel |
| Ryan Miller |
| Matt Hackett |
Game Notes
In lieu of game notes, we'll just point out that the Jackets are going young up front, but have plenty of experience on the back end tonight. It will be interesting to see how Bob looks, and I'm excited to see Boone Jenner as well.