Evan Rodrigues nets the lone goal for Buffalo in the 3-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.
By Craig Merz / NHL.com Correspondent
COLUMBUS, OHIO — The Columbus Blue Jackets moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 3-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday night.
Columbus (49-19-7) has 105 points, two more than the Pittsburgh Penguins, with seven games left. Pittsburgh was idle Tuesday.
The Blue Jackets entered the game three points behind the Washington Capitals for first place in the division. The Capitals were playing at the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
Buffalo (32-33-12) failed to win its third straight game.
Kyle Quincey and Cam Atkinson scored in the first period and Brandon Saad scored into an empty net with 1:05 remaining for Columbus.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 39 saves for his 41st win. He is 10-0-2 in his past 12 games.
Rookie Evan Rodrigues got the Sabres within a goal when he scored a power-play goal at 10:53 of the second period to make it 2-1.
The Sabres outshot the Blue Jackets 15-11 in the first period but could not score on Bobrovsky, who stopped William Carrier 4:50 into the game after he skated around Zach Werenski.
Columbus scored on its next two shots.
Quincey scored his first goal in 13 games with the Blue Jackets at 14:47 for a 1-0 lead.
Atkinson made it 2-0 when he took a pass from Seth Jones and beat Anders Nilsson for his 34th goal of the season at 17:48 of the first period.
Rodrigues scored when he took a cross-ice pass from Ryan O’Reilly and beat Bobrovsky for his fourth of the season.
The goal ended Bobrovsky’s shutout streak at 109:14.
Nilsson made 26 saves.