Blue Jackets at Sabres
Two teams seeking their first victory of 2015-16 face off Monday afternoon, when the Buffalo Sabres conclude their season-opening three-game homestand against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Buffalo has begun the Jack Eichel Era with a whimper, scoring just one goal each in losses to Ottawa and Tampa Bay.
Eichel netted the lone tally against the Senators in the season opener, converting a power-play opportunity midway through the third period for the first of what's expected to be many points in the NHL for the 2015 second overall draft pick. Columbus will be wrapping up its season-opening three-game string against teams from New York. The Blue Jackets were swept of a home-and-home series by the Rangers, scoring two goals in each setback. Columbus won two of its three meetings with the Sabres last season, including the only contest in Buffalo.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), MSG-B (Buffalo)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (0-2-0): Columbus allowed eight consecutive goals after taking a 2-1 lead late in the third period of Friday's opener until Ryan Johansen ended the string with his first of the season 4:35 into the third on Saturday. Johansen notched an assist on Friday, making him the only member of the Blue Jackets with more than one point. Forward William Karlsson made his season debut Saturday in place of the injured Alexander Wennberg and finished with a horrific minus-4 rating.
ABOUT THE SABRES (0-2-0): Robin Lehner was placed on injured reserve prior to Saturday's contest with a lower-body injury and Buffalo recalled fellow goaltender Nathan Lieuwen from Rochester of the American Hockey League. The 24-year-old Lieuwen, who was a sixth-round draft pick in 2011, went 1-4-0 with a 2.98 goals-against average in seven games with Buffalo in 2013-14 - his first in the NHL. Captain Brian Gionta has missed the first two contests this campaign due to a lower-body injury.
OVERTIME
1. The Sabres sent D Jake McCabe to Rochester on Saturday after he was a healthy scratch in the season opener.
2. Wennberg missed Saturday's contest after suffering a concussion a night earlier on a hit by Rangers F Chris Kreider.
3. Buffalo LW Nicolas Deslauriers scored his team's lone goal Saturday, giving him seven tallies in 101 NHL games.