Game Night | Sabres vs. Blue Jackets

Buffalo Sabres (14-18-4) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (12-18-7)

Saturday, Dec. 30 at 5 p.m.

The Sabres host the Blue Jackets to open a back-to-back set of games, which concludes Saturday in Ottawa. It will be the second meeting between the two teams in 12 days, with the Blue Jackets having previously won in Buffalo 9-4 on Dec. 19. 

Get the latest on the Sabres in Friday's practice report.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

TV: MSG/MSG+  (Pregame coverage begins at 4:30 p.m.)

Radio: WGR 550

LAST TIME OUT

Buffalo

Dec. 27: Bruins 4, Sabres 1

Goal scorer: Erik Johnson

Goaltending: Devon Levi (L, 21/25)

Columbus

Dec. 29: Blue Jackets 6, Maple Leafs 5 (OT)

Goal scorers: Cole Sillinger, Brendan Gaunce, Dmitri Voronkov, Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, Johnny Gaudreau

Goaltending: Elvis Merzlikins (12/14), Spencer Martin (W, 16/19)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Buffalo

• Casey Mittelstadt enters Saturday on a four-game point streak, with one goal and four assists in that span. He leads the Sabres with 30 points this season.
• Tage Thompson has 15 points (11+4) in his last eight games against the Blue Jackets, with at least one point in every game during that span.

Columbus

• Rookie forward Adam Fantilli, the third-overall pick in this past summer's NHL Draft, has 11 points (5+6) in his last 11 games. 
• Forward Kirill Marchenko leads the Blue Jackets with 13 goals, including a hat trick in their previous visit to Buffalo.

THE ROAD AHEAD

Sunday, Dec. 31: Buffalo at Ottawa, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 4: Buffalo at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 6: Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.