Scouting Report: Buffalo Looks to Upend the Blue Jackets' Winning Streak on Monday Night

Columbus Blue Jackets (12-7-1) vs Buffalo Sabres (5-11-4)

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2017, 7 p.m. (KEYBANK CENTER)

There was some excitement around the Sabres coming into the season. With Jack Eichel locked up long term and a young roster, some wondered if this might be the year Buffalo started to make progress on reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Instead, it appears chicken wings and jumping onto flaming tables will be the only salves for long-suffering Buffalo natives, as the Sabres have gotten off to a dreadful start that includes just five wins in the first 20 games. Currently, the team is winless in five games, and spirits are not high.

"It is testing my patience," coach Phil Housley said in the Buffalo News. "The last game in Detroit was really the end of my wick as far as remaining patient and making some adjustments."

What those adjustments might be remains to be seen, but perhaps the first bit of tweaking will come against the Blue Jackets.

You Oughta Know: Evander Kane

While the team has largely been a dumpster fire, Kane is quietly having a strong season. The 26-year-old leads the squad with 11 goals (three of which have come while shorthanded) and 19 points in 20 games while playing nearly 20 minutes per game. Kane is coming off a game in which he scored the team's lone goal Saturday vs. Carolina. He is on pace for a career season, as his top mark for goals in a season came in 2010-11 when he potted 30 goals in his third season with Winnipeg. A first-round pick in 2009, Kane is a physical, competitive player who can take over a game with his set of skills. Since scoring his first goal of the 2016-17 season on Dec. 3, 2016, Kane has scored 39 goals in his last 77 games. 

Fast Facts

• Buffalo has been outscored in every period this year, including overtime. The worst period has been the second, as the Sabres have allowed 27 goals in the frame in 20 games. 
• The Sabres have scored 10 power-play goals and allowed six short-handed goals. 
• Buffalo currently has five players on injured reserve and has lost 105 man-games due to injury. The list includes Zach Bogosian (lower body, Oct. 5), Jacob Josefson (lower body, Oct. 17), Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body, Nov. 4), Matt Tennyson (foot, Nov. 7) and Taylor Fedun (lower body, Nov. 17). 

Previous Matchups

THIS YEAR: The Blue Jackets/Sabres rivalry was on display earlier this year as the teams faced off on NBC Sports Network on Oct. 25. Columbus used a big second period to earn the 5-1 win, as Seth Jones, Nick Foligno and Matt Calvert scored in short order to turn what had been a close game into a blowout. 

Keys to the Game

ONE: If the offense is going to get untracked, this would be a good time to start. The Sabres have allowed 3.50 goals per game, fourth worst in the NHL, and Columbus didn't exactly play like gangbusters in the first meeting between the teams and scored five goals. With the Jackets in a scoring rut, the Sabres might be the cure for what ails them. 

TWO: Match their intensity. Buffalo has lost five in a row and had a lot go against it this year. While the team will undoubtedly play with passion to start, if it falls behind, there's no telling how it will respond. 

THREE: Handle their top line. Kane, Eichel and Sam Reinhart form a trio that can score with anyone. Columbus must keep the top scorers from getting into a rhythm.

Team Projected Lineup

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