The Buffalo Sabres are back at KeyBank Center on Thursday night looking to shake off a 2-1 loss to Ottawa and get moving in the right direction again when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Buffalo comes in at 7-5-3 for 17 points, good for seventh in the Atlantic Division. Columbus is 7-7-0 with 14 points, sitting sixth in the Metropolitan Division.
The matchup also features two teams that have had to live with some shaky special teams numbers early on. Buffalo’s power play is clicking at 16.3 percent, which ranks 27th, while its penalty kill sits at 69.8 percent, also 27th. Columbus isn’t far off that pace, with a 16.2 percent power play and a 73.2 percent penalty kill that ranks 24th.
In goal, the Sabres are going with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who is 4-3-3 with a 3.40 goals-against average and a .874 save percentage. Columbus will counter with Jet Greaves, who is 2-5-1 with a 3.11 GAA and a .883 save percentage.
Buffalo’s lineup has Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs and Tage Thompson together on the top line, followed by Josh Doan, Noah Ostlund and Jack Quinn. Jiri Kulich centers Josh Norris and Jason Zucker, while Tyson Kozak skates with Sam Carrick and Beck Malenstyn. Jiri Kulich is listed as the extra forward.
On defense, the Sabres are rolling out Mattias Samuelsson with Rasmus Dahlin, Olen Zellweger with Owen Power, and Zach Metsa with Conor Timmins. Louis Crevier is the extra defenseman. Luukkonen and Colten Ellis are the goaltenders.
There are a few recent trends worth watching for Buffalo. The Sabres have earned at least one point in four straight home games against Columbus, going 3-0-1 in that stretch.
Benson has been especially hot, piling up 13 points in his last 10 games and riding a five-game point streak. He has at least one assist in three straight, and an assist tonight would give him his second four-game assist streak of the season.
It would also be the longest point streak of his career.
Thompson has been driving the offense too, with nine points in his last four games. A point would extend a streak of five or more games for the 17th time in his career, and it would be his first since his 11-game run from Jan. 31 to March 8, 2026. He’s also two assists shy of 200 for his career.
Quinn has 12 points in his last 10 games, including three points in his last three. Krebs has four points in his last three and eight total through Buffalo’s first 15 games, which is the most he has ever had at that stage of a season. Dahlin has five assists over his last five games.
For Columbus, Kent Johnson leads the way with 14 points in 14 games, while Charlie Coyle and Zach Werenski each have 13. Johnson has seven goals and seven assists, Coyle has three goals and 10 assists, and Werenski has one goal and 12 assists.
The Blue Jackets’ injury list includes Alex Lyon, Jack Rathbone, Matt Grzelcyk, Konsta Helenius and Justin Danforth. Lyon and Rathbone are on injured reserve, while Grzelcyk and Danforth are also on injured reserve.
Helenius has been out since Oct. 29.
One more note on Buffalo’s crease: Colten Ellis has stopped 80 of 88 shots in his last three starts, good for a .909 save percentage.
In Other News...
Sabres Waiver Move Puts Jack Rathbone's Next Step In Doubt
Jack Rathbones path with the Sabres hit another snag when Buffalo placed the defenseman on waivers, a move that adds uncertainty to what has already been a frustrating season. Rathbone, who was originally drafted by the Vancouver Canucks and has played all 28 of his NHL games with Vancouver, has been trying to work his way back into game shape after an injury kept him out of regular-season action this year.
If he clears waivers, the Sabres could send him to Rochester, where he would continue his season with the AHL affiliate rather than getting an immediate look in Buffalo. For a player still trying to reestablish himself at the NHL level, the next step matters, and this one now depends on whether another team decides to take a chance before the Sabres can make that assignment. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Norris Trade Chatter Puts Sabres' Slow Start Under A Harsh Light
Buffalos uneven first 15 games have put a spotlight on a familiar problem: the secondary scoring has gone quiet, and several forwards have not come close to matching last seasons production. There are a few bright spots in the lineup, but the overall offensive rhythm has been inconsistent enough to leave the Sabres searching for answers while the standings start to harden around them.
Josh Norris has become part of that conversation, not because of what he has done, but because of what his presence now represents in a season that has not found its footing. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has already signaled that roster changes could be on the table, and with the offense sputtering, the Sabres may have to decide whether patience is enough or whether the next move has to come from outside the current core. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Suddenly Have An Internal Scoring Question They Cant Ignore
The Sabres early-season offense has taken a clear step back from where it was a year ago, and it has pushed a familiar issue back to the front of the conversation in Buffalo. When goals are harder to come by, the organization starts looking for any short-term spark it can find, and that naturally puts the Rochester Americans back in the picture as a possible source of help.
A recall from the AHL would not solve everything, but it could give the lineup a different look and buy the club some time while the bigger scoring questions linger. The Amerks have a few forwards who have put themselves into the discussion, and Buffalos front office now has to decide whether one of those internal options is worth a look before the pressure to produce grows any louder. [Read more 🡒]