Skinner has 3 points for Sabres in win against Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS -- Jeff Skinner had a goal and two assists for the Buffalo Sabres in a 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Friday.

Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and an assist, and Devon Levi made 29 saves for the Sabres (42-33-7), who won five of their final six games.
"It's been a long year," Skinner said. "Obviously we didn't reach the goal we wanted to, but you have to be professional and put a good effort in. We had a lot of chances early. Their goalie made some good saves. We had to stick with it, and it paid off."
Tyler Angle scored his first NHL goal in his second NHL game for the Blue Jackets (25-48-9), who were 1-4-1 in their final six games and finished 31st in the NHL.
"It's the end of the season and we know we're out. It's a difficult game all the way around," Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. "This is a privilege to do this job. It is. And I love it, even in a challenging year like it was."
Jon Gillies allowed three goals on 27 shots in the first two periods before leaving with a lower-body injury. Michael Hutchinson made seven saves in relief.
Gillies was another example of the injury-ravaged season for the Blue Jackets, who played most of it without defensemen
Zach Werenski
(shoulder) and Jake Bean (shoulder), and forward Justin Danforth (torn labrum).
Columbus finished with a franchise-record 563 man-games lost (508 in 2014-15).
"This has been the hardest season with all the injuries," Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau said. "It's hard to see all the guys out for the season and out six, seven weeks. It's hard to watch teammates like that go down, especially when they're a huge part of the team."

Gaudreau gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 34 seconds into the first period, scoring from the right on the rebound of a Tim Berni shot.
Skinner tied it 1-1 at 8:36 of the second period, one-timing a left-to-right seam pass by Mittelstadt for his 35th goal.
"There were ups and downs and I thought we stuck together and just kept playing," Mittelstadt said of the season. "We were a young group and we knew that there was going to be ups and downs, and I'm just proud of the boys for sticking together and coming out on the other side."

Victor Olofsson gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead at 12:35 with a shot from the slot for his 28th goal.
Alex Tuch extended the lead to 3-1 at 14:01. Skinner won the draw and Tuch avoided several poke-checks to score his 36th goal with a snap shot from the right circle.
Angle cut it to 3-2 at 18:24. He made his NHL debut in a 3-2 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
"Two games in two days, it's something I'll never forget," Angle said. "Then getting a goal in my second game, it's a good experience for me and a confidence booster going into next season, and I'm excited for that.
"It's everything a young kid wants to do growing up. I accomplished that. Luckily, I did it in two games instead of 50, or however many I play."

Mittelstadt scored at 4:03 of the third period to make it 4-2 after Skinner created a turnover and passed to him at the crease.
Peyton Krebs was credited with a goal at 17:27 for the 5-2 final. He skated across the blue line and cut into the slot to attempt a backhand, but the puck was swept off his stick and into the net by Blue Jackets defenseman Billy Sweezey.
"We've taken more steps in a positive direction and hopefully we can carry some of that momentum into next season," Skinner said.
NOTES: Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no update. … Sabres forward Tage Thompson, who scored five of his 47 goals against the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Dec. 7, did not play because of an upper-body injury. … Levi (5-2-0) is one of three goalies in Sabres history to win at least five of his first seven games in the NHL, joining Jacques Cloutier (1981-82) and Don Edwards (1976-77). … Skinner finished with 82 points (35 goals, 47 assists), the first time he has topped 80 points in the NHL. … Mittelstadt had a six-game point streak (10 points; five goals, five assists) to end the season. … Sabres defenseman Kale Clague had an assist and was plus-3 in 21:27 in his first game since March 24. … Buffalo tied its season record with 25 road wins (2006-07, 2005-06). … The game was rescheduled from Dec. 27 because the Sabres had weather-related issues getting out of Buffalo.