The Blue Jackets bring a two-game winning streak and a head-to-head edge into a close power-index matchup at KeyBank Center.
Friday’s meeting at KeyBank Center pairs Buffalo’s 17 points in 15 games with Columbus’ 14 points in 14, while the teams sit 25th and 24th in the power index, respectively. The Blue Jackets have won two straight, including a 7-2 rout of Colorado, and already beat Buffalo 6-3 this season; the Sabres are coming off a 2-1 loss to Ottawa after three consecutive wins. Tage Thompson leads Buffalo with 17 points and 10 goals, while Kent Johnson tops Columbus with 14 points. Columbus holds the edge in team save percentage, .896 to .879, but Buffalo’s stronger shots-on-goal differential—plus 0.6 per game against Columbus’ minus 1.5—could help tilt the chances. The matchup may turn on whether Buffalo can turn its shot advantage into goals against a Columbus side that has outscored opponents 9-3 across its last two wins.