Sabres open the 2026-27 regular season on the road
Game 1 - 10/1/26 - 7:00 pm at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
Buffalo – 0-0-0 | - 0 points – 6th place in the Atlantic Division
Columbus – 0-0-0 | - 0 points – 5th place in the Metropolitan Division
Special Teams
Buffalo
Power Play(2025-26) – 19.5% (21st)
Penalty Kill(2025-26) – 81.9% (4th)
Columbus
Power Play(2025-26) – 18.9% (22nd)
Penalty Kill(2025-26) - 76.0% (28th)
Top Scorers (2025-26)
Buffalo
Tage Thompson: 81 GP, 40 G, 41 A, 81 PTS
Rasmus Dahlin: 77 GP, 19 G, 55 A, 74 PTS
AlexTuch: 79 GP, 33 G, 33 A, 66 PTS
Columbus
Zach Werenski: 75 GP, 22 G, 59 A, 81 PTS
Kirill Marchenko: 76 GP, 27 G, 40 A, 67 PTS
Adam Fantilli: 82 GP, 24 G, 35 A, 59 PTS
Starting Goalies
Buffalo –Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (22-9-3, 2.52 GAA, .910 Sv %)
Columbus – Jet Greaves (26-19-9, 2.60 GAA, .908 Sv %)
Other Sabres Stories
Sabres Line Combinations and Pairings
Forwards
Josh Norris - Tage Thompson - Josh Doan
Zach Benson - Noah Ostlund - Jack Quinn
Peyton Krebs - Ryan McLeod - Konsta Helenius
Jiri Kulich - Sam Carrick - Beck Malenstyn
Defense
Mattias Samuelsson - Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power - Louis Crevier
Matt Grzelcyk - Zach Metsa
Goaltenders
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Colten Ellis
Columbus Lineup
Notes
Tonight’s game marks the 56th season-opener in franchise history and the second time in franchise history that the Sabres have opened a season against the Blue Jackets (Oct. 9, 2014).
Tonight’s game marks just the second season-opening game for Buffalo to be considered a road matchup in the last 13 seasons (Oct. 3, 2019 at Pittsburgh).
Josh Doan has registered at least one goal in three consecutive games against Columbus and he is riding a four-game point streak (4+1) against the Blue Jackets. Doan has recorded a goal in each game he has played against the Blue Jackets as a member of the Sabres, including a two-goal outing in the most recent matchup between the two teams (April 9, 2026). In six career games against Columbus, Doan has posted seven points (6+1).
Tage Thompson has tallied 17 points (11+6) in 16 career meetings with the Blue Jackets. His 11 goals against Columbus are the most by a Buffalo skater all-time against the Blue Jackets, five more than the next-closest Sabres skater (Jason Pominville, 6).
Rasmus Dahlin has recorded more goals (5), assists (14) and points (19) than any Sabres defenseman against the Blue Jackets all-time.
Among NHL defensemen to play in at least 15 career games against Columbus all-time, Dahlin and Adam Fox (1+18 in 19 games) are the only two to have recorded at least one point per game played.
In nine career road matchups with the Blue Jackets, Dahlin has posted nine points (2+7).
Josh Norris is riding a three-game assist streak against Columbus and he has picked up four assists in that span, including at least one assist in each of his two games against the Blue Jackets as a member of the Sabres.
Injuries
Alex Lyon (upper body)
Olen Zellweger (concussion protocol, injured reserve)
Conor Timmins (lower body; injured reserve)
Jason Zucker (sports hernia; injured reserve)
Topias Leinonen (lower body; injured reserve)
Jack Rathbone (lower body; injured reserve)
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