Preview: Sabres vs Jackets

The Buffalo Sabres have dropped the first two games of their 2015-16 NHL season and I must confess—I’m feeling weird about it. From opening night last season through their 81^st game, ironically against this afternoon’s opponent, I was more than a little upfront with my desire to see the Sabres lose. Armed with knowledge of the worst kept secret ever, Buffalo had zero to postseason contend and with Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel the payoff for finishing dead last, I was in tank-mode from the jump.  Whether at the arena, catching it on television or following along on a phone app, a Sabres defeat brought joy to my franchise player craving soul.

Changing course has been a larger adjustment than I thought.  Buffalo lost to Ottawa and Tampa to start the season, and while I haven’t outwardly smiled, I’ve forgotten it’s time to be despondent with the results.  With Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly, Evander Kane and others in the lineup, the tank is over and putting pucks in the net is once again a good thing.

The Sabres will try earning their first win of the season for a third time this afternoon at 3pm, ironically against the team that clinched 30^th for Buffalo on the second-last game of last season, Columbus. It was the Blue Jackets that allowed the Sabres to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when it counted most, 4-2 with Cam Atkinson heroically clinching Eichel for the Sabres.

I rooted so hard for Columbus that game last year, my natural instinct is to do it again.

The Sabres will have to overcome a significant injury in the nets. It became official Sunday Robin Lehner will miss 6-10 weeks with a high ankle sprain suffered in the opener against Ottawa.  Chad Johnson, who started and played reasonably well against the Lightning Saturday afternoon is expected to get the start, with Nathan Lieuwen backing him up.

Sabres captain Brian Gionta has yet to play this season with a lower body injury, but head coach Dan Blysma is “cautiously optimistic” Gionta can make his debut today. If he does play, he’s likely to skate with Eichel and Kane.

Other forward lines at Sunday practice were O’Reilly and Tyler Ennis centered by Zegmus Girgensons, Matt Moulson and Marcus Foligno between Johan Larsson and David Legwand centering Nicolas Deslauriers and both Jamie McGinn/Sam Reinhart.

If Gionta can go it appears either McGinn or Reinhart will be the odd forward out.

Many of the new Sabres have struggled to produce through their first two games.  Defensemen Cody Franson is already sports a minus-four rating while O’Reilly, Legwand and defensemen Carlo Colaicovo are a minus-three. None of the four have registered a point.

Meanwhile Columbus has lost its first two games, both against the New York Rangers 5-2 and 4-2, as all-star goaltender/former Vezina trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky has already allowed eight goals in five periods.

Despite not having a long and successful NHL existence at this point Columbus has always played well against Buffalo. The Jackets are 11-7-2 lifetime against Buffalo and are 6-4-1 at the First Niagara Center.

This afternoon wraps up a three-game Buffalo home stand to start the season.  The Sabres are then off until Thursday when they visit the Florida Panthers and then a rematch at Tampa Bay on Saturday. They return home next Wednesday to face Toronto.

Check back here for a recap of this afternoon’s contest.