Columbus Blue Jackets eyeing second victory of season against Buffalo Sabres -NHL Match Preview
Columbus was the only team without a victory in the entire National Hockey League (NHL) when they were entering their ninth matchup of the 2011-2012 regular season, but finally grabbed it against Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday and hope to continue with that momentum against the Sabres when they visit the First Niagara Center, Buffalo, New York, on Thursday, October 27.
"I don't think anyone in that dressing room has been through anything like the three weeks of h**l we've been through", Columbus Blue Jackets coach, Scott Arniel, said. "A lot of baggage came with it. I thought the Dallas game (a 3-2 loss last Tuesday) we played well and didn't get rewarded. In Ottawa we played well for 59 minutes. … Tonight everyone in the lineup stepped up and played a part”.
Buffalo on the other hand, had a great start to the regular season after it won five of its first six matchups but at the moment, they will be entering the matchup against Columbus on Thursday with two straight losses on their record, which they hope of snapping right then and there.
"We all have to get better", Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller said. "We can't get rattled, and we have to keep going".
The Blue Jackets did not win without any reason. Many might have termed it be just pure luck, Columbus thinks that it was the execution of their planning ahead of time that worked out well for them.
Columbus defenseman, James Wisniewski, finally made his debut in their first season victory against Detroit after facing an eight game regular season suspension during the preseason, which obviously boosted the teams’ morale.
Wisniewski might not have been the sole reason for the team gaining their first two points of regulation victory, but he certainly was a part of their prior planning and its successful execution.
Blue Jackets captain, Rick Nash and Vinny Prospal are also performing well for the team, boasting a record of three goals and five assists each in their past season matchups. Buffalo will be counting on their forward, Thomas Vanek, who at the moment leads the team with seven goals and Jason Pominville has two goals and eight assists for a total of 10 points in his name.
Columbus will be unfortunately missing one of their top players acquired during their blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Flyers over the offseason, Jeff Carter, who is out with a foot injury. Kristian Huselius is out with a torn pectoral muscle, while Mark Dekanich, Curtis Sanford and Jared Boll are also out with various injuries.
Buffalo will be without Tyler Ennis who is out with an ankle injury and Jochen Hecht is out due to a concussion, both at the moment do not have a set date of return and are being observed on a weekly basis.
Looking to make a better impression on the league and their fan base, Columbus Blue Jackets will be going all out in order to win their upcoming matchups. Since they are sitting at the bottom of the league and their conference, winning more will be crucial for them to maintain a better position as the season progresses.
Buffalo knows that they are performing well as a team and have the manpower to continue doing so. It is only a matter of a few games until they get back in form and start winning again.
Tags: