Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres vs. Blue Jackets

Henri Jokiharju will return to the lineup when the Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center on Monday. Jokiharju has been out since opening night with a lower-body injury.
Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. The puck drops at 7.
Here are five things to know.

1. The lineup

Jokiharju will step in on defense in place of Will Butcher, who did not have a shift during third period against the Rangers on Sunday.
"I didn't feel he was playing as well as he can play and that was the reason," Granato said. "He's a better player than he's played recently. But in last night's game, the decision was made based on that."

2. Jokiharju's return

The presence of Jokiharju gives the Sabres left-right balance on the back end, something they've been missing since the defenseman blocked a shot off his ankle on opening night. He joins Colin Miller and Mark Pysyk as right shots alongside left shots Jacob Bryson, Rasmus Dahlin, Robert Hagg.
Jokiharju entered the season poised to take on an increased role alongside Dahlin. Granato said he will step right in on the penalty kill against the Blue Jackets.
"Henri is a good energy guy," Granato said. "He's loved by his teammates. They're excited to have him back in, I know that, and he's as excited as they are."

3. The goalies

Dustin Tokarski will start for the Sabres. He is 3-4-2 with a .909 save percentage coming off a 5-0 loss to the Flames at home last Thursday.
Columbus is expected to start Elvis Merzlikins. He is 7-3-0 with a .918 save percentage.

4. Bouncing back

The Sabres are less than 24 hours removed from a heartbreaking 5-4 loss at Madison Square Garden in which the Rangers scored the winning goal with less than a second remaining in regulation.
Granato encouraged players not to let the sting of the defeat discourage them from what they had done during the first 40 minutes, which he felt was a vast improvement from an uncharacteristically flat outing against the Flames.
"We just didn't create any offense in the third period because of decisions we made," Granato said. "We went through the film today and a big part of the film session this morning was to demystify why we didn't get chances in the third. … Tactically, we vacated what we did in the first period and second period."

5. Scouting the Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets (9-5-0) are coming off 3-2 loss at Vegas in which they surrendered a 2-0 lead. The message from coach Brad Larsen was similar to how Granato described the Sabres' loss to the Flames.
"When you start turning pucks over and forcing things and then you're not competitive at the puck, you're chasing it," Larsen said, according to the Blue Jackets website. "And that's what happened. They took over, and we couldn't match the competitiveness. That's what's frustrating. Because we've done a good job in that area, and tonight we weren't there -- not even close."
The penalty kill was one area the Blue Jackets continued to excel at in that game. They have allowed just one power-play goal in their last eight contests, going 20-for-21 in that span.
Oliver Bjorkstrand leads Columbus with 17 points (5+12). Boone Jenner, named captain prior to the season, has a team-high nine goals.