Buffalo’s 2-game winning streak comes to an end with a 5-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.
By Craig Merz / NHL.com Correspondent
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Sergei Bobrovsky made 34 saves, falling 2:34 shy of his second shutout of the season, and the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 5-1, at Nationwide Arena on Wednesday.
Columbus (6-3-0) ended a two-game losing streak to start a four-game homestand.
Buffalo (3-6-2) had a two-game winning streak end.
Seth Griffith scored his first goal of the season for the Sabres to make it 4-1 and prevent Bobrovsky from his 21st career NHL shutout. Josh Anderson made it 5-1 with 39 seconds left.
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in the first period. After Bobrovsky stopped a Ryan O’Reilly break early in the second, Seth Jones, Matt Calvert, and Nick Foligno scored in a 2:59 span for a 4-0 lead.
Bjorkstrand scored for the second straight game for a 1-0 lead at 12:00 with a power-play goal for the second unit. Boone Jenner provided the screen for Bjorkstrand’s snap shot from the right circle for his second goal.
After 18 unsuccessful power plays, the Blue Jackets scored for the second time in four tries in two games.
Jones made it 2-0 with 4:40 left in the second with a shot from the left circle that got past Chad Johnson, who started a night after Robin Lehner shut out the Detroit Red Wings 1-0. Jones has two goals.
Foligno’s goal, after a review, made it 3-0 with 2:22 to go. Jack Johnson skated deep and had the initial shot that came off Johnson and then hit Foligno’s skate. The puck glided in without him using a distinct kicking motion. He has three goals.
Calvert scored with 1:41 remaining when he poked the puck in after Markus Nutivaara’s shot trickled behind Johnson and sat in the crease.
Anderson made 33 saves.
*EDITOR’S NOTE — Former Rochester Americans defenseman Mike Milbury was the color commentator with announcer Mike Emrick on the NBCSN Wednesday night telecast of the Buffalo Sabres game in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. They mentioned the Amerks many times throughout the telecast, including the final 5-2 score in favor of Rochester. They also mentioned that Don Cherry was a former Amerks coach, as well as Columbus coach John Tortorella being a former Amerks coach. They briefly talked about how rough the AHL was back in the day with Milbury once fighting a Syracuse player in the hallway.