Overview
- Columbus beat Buffalo 5-1 on Jan. 3, handing the Sabres their first loss since Dec. 8 and ending a league-leading 10-game run.
- Denton Mateychuk, Brendan Gaunce (short-handed), Dmitri Voronkov, Mathieu Olivier and Cole Sillinger scored, and Jet Greaves made 32 saves.
- Zach Werenski returned from a four-game absence and recorded two assists to pace offense from the back end.
- The Blue Jackets denied all five Buffalo power plays and have killed 19 of 20 since Dec. 20 in a marked short-handed turnaround.
- Riding four wins in five, Columbus hosts Pittsburgh today as the Penguins seek a fifth straight win and Yegor Chinakhov returns to Columbus after this week’s trade.