The Columbus Blue Jacket played their first game of the year without all three of their leading scorers in the lineup and it didn't go well.
Kent Johnson(16) and Ivan Provorov(5) provided the offense for Columbus, and Elvis Merzļikins stopped 18 of 21 Sabre shots in a 3-2 loss.
The game started with a bang as we saw Mathieu Olivier and Dennis Gilbert fight just three seconds into the game. Unfortunately for Columbus that would be all the fireworks they could muster until Kent Johnson decided he was going to do Kent Johnson things. His 16th goal of the season could be classified as a 1a/1b goal of the year for the CBJ. It's a must-watch highlight.
The undermanned Blue Jackets just couldn't get anything going in this game. They did pull to within one with about seven minutes left when Ivan Provorov scored his 5th goal of the season, but that would be it for the Jackets. Buffalo's Alex Tuch was the man for the Sabres, scoring twice and sinking Columbus.
Dean Evason said about the loss, "We still have to play like we play, and we gotta stay with how we play the game. We got out of it a little bit structurally, and it ends up in our net. But we certainly aren't gonna fault the effort."
Final Stats
CBJ vs. SabresPlayer Stats
- Kent Johnson scored his 16th goal of the season.
- Ivan Provorov scored his 5th goal. He also got his 19th assist and played 28:27 of ice time.
- James van Riemsdyk recorded his 14th assist.
- Damon Severson got his 15th assist.
- Luca Del Bel Bellulz tallied his 6th assist.
- Elvis Merzļikins made 18 saves in the loss.
Team Stats
- The Jackets power play failed on its only man advantage.
- The Blue Jackets PK stopped Buffalo's only power play.
- Columbus won 48.1% of the faceoffs.
What's Next: The Blue Jackets are home on Thursday and will welcome the Utah Hockey Club in NWA.
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