Sabres wrap: Win streak ends with Blue Jackets' third-period comeback
The Sabres' five-game win streak ended, and they failed to reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 3. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, staved off elimination and improved to 36-33-9.
JJ Peterka stickhandled toward the Blue Jackets' net for a breakaway, and his shot was stopped by rookie goalie Jet Greaves late in the second period Thursday night.
The Buffalo Sabres could have taken a two-goal lead on their 17th shot of the period. The game-changing save sparked a turnaround for Columbus, as the Blue Jackets rallied with two goals in the third period to defeat the Sabres, 3-2.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender James Reimer (47) against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at the KeyBank Center on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
The Sabres' five-game win streak ended, and they failed to reach .500 for the first time since Dec. 3. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, staved off elimination and improved to 36-33-9.
Peterka and Rasmus Dahlin scored a goal apiece in a span of 2:45 to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead 14:39 into the first period, and they were pushing to score again in the final minute until a mistake cost them.
James van Riemsdyk finished a breakaway with a backhand shot between James Reimer's legs to cut the Sabres' lead to 2-1 with 8.1 seconds left in the first period.
The Sabres had 18 shots during the second period, though it was still 2-1 entering the third, and Zach Aston-Reese tied it 2-2 with his goal with 16 minutes left in regulation. Reimer made 26 saves, and his six-game win streak ended. Buffalo had 40 shots on goal but could not score the tying goal with Reimer pulled for the extra attacker.
First period
• Peterka hit the post with a backhand shot from the slot one minute into the game.• Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves stopped Jason Zucker's one-timer and a long-distance shot by Beck Malenstyn. Columbus turned the puck over in its defensive zone, which gave Peyton Krebs an opportunity from the slot, but his shot was blocked.
• The Blue Jackets didn't get a shot on goal during a 4-on-2 rush midway through the period.
• Peterka gave the Sabres a 1-0 lead 11:54 into the first period when his shot from the left circle went over Greaves' glove. The goal was Peterka's 25th of the season and second in as many games. Dahlin and Ryan McLeod had the assists.
• Dahlin made it 2-0 with a low shot to the far post 14:39 into the first period. The scoring chance started when Dahlin stickhandled around Sean Monahan near the blue line, creating a lane for the Sabres captain to skate to the high slot. Jiri Kulich and Zach Benson handled the puck before it got back to Dahlin, who moved it a few feet to his right to avoid defenseman Dante Fabbro.
The goal was Dahlin's 16th this season, while Benson and Kulich had the assists.
• The Sabres turned the puck over in the offensive zone, then Blue Jackets winger Kent Johnson flipped it over Owen Power and Jacob Bernard-Docker to send van Riemsdyk on a breakaway. He beat Reimer to cut Buffalo's lead to 2-1 with 8.1 seconds left in the first period.
• The Blue Jackets had a 12-7 advantage in shots on goal at end of the first period, though the Sabres led 2-1.
Second period
• Columbus was down to five defensemen because it lost Jake Christiansen to an upper-body injury in the first period.• Benson's shot from the slot forced Greaves to make a save 6:35 into the second period. Benson had another chance during his next shift, as the second-year winger barely missed a the net on a redirect.
• Malenstyn stickhandled from the right corner to the front of the net and tried to jam the puck past Greaves with 10:02 left in the second period.
• Benson had a pair of scoring chances in tight, but he couldn't jam the puck past Greaves. The Sabres were caught too deep in the offensive zone, which forced Bowen Byram to break up a 2-on-1 rush to keep the Sabres ahead 2-1.
• Krebs created a rebound with a shot off a faceoff win and Tuch couldn't settle the puck before Greaves got set to make the save. The Blue Jackets' goalie stopped Kulich's shot a few minutes later.
• Greaves' 17th save of the second period was his stop on Peterka's breakaway with 1:24 remaining. The Sabres carried a 2-1 lead into the intermission.
Third period
• Aston-Reese tipped Zach Werenski's shot to tie it 2-2 with 16 minutes left in the third period.• Sam Lafferty's slashing penalty gave the Blue Jackets the first power play of the game 5:23 into the third period, and Jenner whacked a rebound past Reimer to give Columbus a 3-2 lead.
• Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk's delay-of-game penalty gave the Sabres their first power play with 7:32 left in the third period. Kulich grazed the post, but Buffalo had only one shot on goal while Mateychuk was in the penalty box.
Lineup
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff used the following lineup at the start of the game:Zach Benson - Jiri Kulich - Tage Thompson
JJ Petekra - Ryan McLeod - Jack Quinn
Jason Zucker - Peyton Krebs - Alex Tuch
Beck Malenstyn - Noah Ostlund - Sam Lafferty
Mattias Samuelsson - Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power - Jacob Bernard-Docker
Bowen Byram - Connor Clifton