The Buffalo Sabres face the Columbus Blue Jackets with both teams looking to wrap up the season on a high note. The Sabres have a 41-33-7 record and will miss the playoffs by a few points while the Blue Jackets have a 25-47-9 record and look to avoid finishing the season with the worst record in the NHL. Both teams are looking to end rough seasons with a win and the upcoming game looks to be a good one.
The Sabres put together a strong season with their offense leading the way, scoring 3.55 goals per game including 20 goals in the last five games. Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Jeff Skinner have scored 115 goals and 131 assists to lead the top two lines but the entire offense has been great. Casey Mittelstadt, Dylan Cozens, and Victor Olofsson have combined for 70 goals and 90 assists while defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power have added 19 goals and 88 assists from the point to help open up the offense.
The offense has been great but the defense kept the Sabres from making the playoffs, allowing 3.65 goals per game with six goals in the last two games. Dahlin and Power have combined for 7.8 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net at will. Additionally, goaltender Devon Levi struggled in his few starts with a .901 s ave percentage and a 3.09 goals-against average on 191 shots.