The Columbus Blue Jackets [http://thn.com/columbus] are in KeyBank Arena tonight to play the Buffalo Sabres [http://thn.com/buffalo]. This will be the first of two meetings at KeyBank this season. For once, the Jackets don't play a team that are Stanley Cup contenders. But don't let the buffalo Sabres fool you, because they've been playing well. Although they split a weekend series with the Maple Leafs last weekend, they've won 4 of 6 and currently sit 5th in the Atlantic with 9 points and are just two points out of 3rd. As of today, the Sabres' numbers are mid-pack in everything except the penalty kill. The Sabres are a mind-boggling 93.3% on the PK through nine games. So, this game will feature the #1 PK vs. the 27th PP. Tonight is going to go bad for the special teams of someone. The Jackets are coming off a big win in Pittsburgh and look to string together some wins. This is the first of a back-to-back, as the Jackets will welcome Toronto into NWA tomorrow night. The Blue Jackets currently sit 7th in the Metro, 13th in the East, and 25th in the league. Blue Jackets Stats * Power Play - 15% - 27th in NHL * Penalty Kill - 60.7% - 32nd in NHL * Goals For - 24 - 29th in NHL * Goals Against - 25 - 12th in NHL Sabres Stats * Power Play - 23.3% - 11th in NHL * Penalty Kill - 93.9% - 1st in NHL * Goals For - 27 - 19th in NHL * Goals Against - 27 - 15th in NHL Series History vs. Sabres * Columbus is 27-16-1-3, and 14-8-0-3 all-time on the road * The CBJ are 9-4-3 in the last 16 games against Buffalo. * The Blue Jackets have killed off all 9 Sabre power plays in the last 8 games. * Columbus went 2-1 against Buffalo last season. Who To Watch For The Sabres * Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 4 goals and 8 points. He also has 17 points in 13 games against the CBJ. * Zach Benson leads Buffalo with 7 assists. * Goalie Alex Lyon is 3-4 with a .923 SV%. His last start was against Toronto last Friday. * Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 1-0-0 with a .898 SV%. UPL last played against Toronto last Saturday. CBJ Player Notes vs. Sabres * Sean Monahan has 23 points in 24 career games vs. Buffalo. * Boone Jenner has 14 points in 24 games. * Zach Werenski has 15 points in 19 games against Buffalo. Injuries - None on IR * Miles Wood - 5 Games Missed - Eye Injury - Skating and travelling TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 9 How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. Let us know what you think below. thn.com/free [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/875e5812-1624-41a6-9f80-4245ffdd2ce9.jpeg] thn.com/free For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
