The Columbus Blue Jackets move from a disappointing
home-and-home series against the New York Rangers to an interesting matchup
against the Buffalo Sabres. While the Sabres are unlikely to be even close to a
playoff spot by the time it is set and done, they offer a mix of talent that is
sure to pack a punch in years to come.
Led by rookie sensation Jack Eichel, the Sabres feature a young corps
consisting of defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen, Mark Pysyk, and Jake McCabe as
well as forwards Sam Reinhart, Evander Kane and Marcus Foligno.
The Sabres have started off fairly slowly, as they are
currently 0-2-0 following losses to the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay
Lightning. However the Sabres lost more than just points already this season;
it was announced that goaltender Robin Lehner, who was acquired from the
Senators this offseason, will miss 6-10 weeks with a high ankle sprain which occurred
in the season opener against Ottawa. Captain Brian Gionta will likely be back
in the lineup for the Sabres, which gives them another offensive threat.
SABRES PROJECTED LINES:
These lines were used in the Sabres’ practice on Sunday morning
which gives good reason to suggest they will start the game with them.
90 Ryan O’Reilly – 28 Zemgus Girgensons – 63 Tyler Ennis
9 Evander Kane – 15 Jack Eichel – 12 Brian Gionta
26 Matt Moulson – 22 Johan Larsson – 82 Marcus Foligno
44 Nicolas Deslauriers – 17 David Legwand – 88 Jamie
McGinn/23 Sam Reinhart
4 Josh Gorges – 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
6 Mike Weber – 46 Cody Franson
25 Carlo Colaiacovo – 3 Mark Pysyk
45 Brendan Guhle – 65 Matt Donovan
31 Chad Johnson
50 Nathan Lieuwen
Key Players:
15 Jack Eichel:
Eichel is a superstar in his rookie year, much like Connor
McDavid of the Oilers. He currently has a single point (a goal), however he
will be a large part of the offensive picture.
46 Cody Franson:
Franson is yet to make an impact on his new team, so far
posting a large donut on the point category as well as a horrific -4 rating.
The Blue Jackets have also been struggling as of late after
throwing away what would have seemingly given them a 1-0-0 start to the season
against the Rangers followed up by a disappointing start to the game on
Saturday, however the Jackets believe they know what is wrong and how to fix
it.
While Todd Richards experimented with some new line
combinations on Saturday and will likely change them prior to the start of the
game on Monday, they currently are expected to remain the same as previous
games.
JACKETS PROJECTED LINES:
20 Brandon Saad – 19 Ryan Johansen – 71 Nick Foligno
38 Boone Jenner – 17 Brandon Dubinsky – 18 Rene Bourque
43 Scott Hartnell – 25 William Karlsson – 13 Cam Atkinson
11 Matt Calvert – 9 Gregory Campbell – 40 Jared Boll
27 Ryan Murray – 58 David Savard
51 Fedor Tyutin – 7 Jack Johnson
4 Kevin Connauton – 47 Dalton Prout
72 Sergei Bobrovsky
30 Curtis McElhinney
Key Players:
72 Sergei Bobrovsky:
Bobrovsky is a top goaltender in the league when he is on
his game, however a lack of defensive help and possible rust is prohibiting him
from reaching that level. If the Jackets are going to win, he needs to be at
his best.
7 Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson has a large amount of personal issues reaching
national media at this point of time and it appears to be negatively impacting
his game. He isn’t helping at all in the offensive zone and has been playing
very subpar defensively. The Jackets will need him to step up on the blue line
and be a leader for the young defensemen.
Goaltending Matchup:
The goaltending matchup is a bit of an interesting one, it
will likely be the struggling Sergei Bobrovsky facing off against the backup
turned starter Chad Johnson
Bobrovsky: Save Percentage .830, GAA 4.90
Johnson: Save Percentage .875, GAA 3.30
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