Blue Jackets hold off Sabres for fourth straight win
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Artemi Panarin scored for the second game in a row to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
Pierre-Luc Dubois and Boone Jenner also scored for the Blue Jackets (13-7-1), who won their fourth game in a row.
Sam Reinhart and Evander Kane scored for the Sabres (5-12-4). Robin Lehner made 27 saves.
The Sabres had a prime opportunity to even the score with a power play in the game's final minutes but came up just short. There was a lengthy video review with 1:46 remaining after a scrum in the crease and the puck on the goal line, but officials ruled there was no goal.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves in the victory. He had a shutout streak come to an end at 1:17:23 after allowing a goal through the third period.
Dubois opened the scoring on a controversial goal 4:14 into the second period. After Blue Jackets right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand ran into Lehner, Bjorkstrand found Dubois for an easy finish. The goal was not reviewed under video replay, and the Sabres did not challenge the goal. It was Dubois' third goal of the season.
Panarin made it 2-0 on a spectacular shot 5:47 into the third period. After finding his way past Sabres defenseman Marco Scandella inside the right circle, Panarin ripped a hard shot off the far post and in for his fifth goal of the season.
Jenner made it 3-0 9:24 into the third after a wrap-around pass by Cam Atkinson.
Reinhart got the Sabres on the board on a deflection from the front of the net 9:37 into the third.
Kane cut Columbus' lead to one with 3:32 remaining on a low shot from the left circle.
NOTES: D Casey Nelson and LW Matt Moulson were scratched for the Sabres. Nelson was recalled from the AHL's Rochester Americans on Nov. 16. ... D Scott Harrington and C Alexander Wennberg were scratched for the Blue Jackets. ... D Zach Bogosian (lower body, 21 games) and D Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body, eight games) remain on injured reserve for Buffalo. ... This was the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The third and final meeting takes place on Jan. 11 in Buffalo. ... Sabres D Justin Falk played for Columbus from 2014 to 2016, posting six points in 29 games.