NHL Game Preview - Buffalo at Columbus

Mon Oct 7, 2019 7:00 PM EDT

Some impressive offensive production has the Buffalo Sabres off to a strong start. That might not bode well for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who've had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net early on.

Looking to open with three straight victories for the first time in 11 years, the visiting Sabres try to keep the Blue Jackets winless on Monday night.

Buffalo has outscored Pittsburgh and New Jersey 10-3 while winning its first two games, and is a stellar 4 of 6 on the power play. More than half of those goals came in a 7-2 home-opening rout of the Devils on Saturday by the Sabres, who last started 3-0-0 in 2008-09.

"I think we wanted to come out and show the fans what it's going to be like this year, and the type of product we want to put on the ice, and just get them excited for the season," star center Jack Eichel, who had a goal with two assists versus New Jersey, told the Sabres' official website.

"It's all about consistency in this league. We want to just keep doing it every night."

Seven different players already have scored for Buffalo. Victor Olofsson, Sam Reinhart and Conor Sheary each has two goals.

Playing under new coach Ralph Krueger and looking to reach the postseason for the first time since 2010-11, Buffalo has looked solid early in its own end, especially, while killing six of seven penalties. Goaltender Carter Hutton has stopped 46 of 49 shots over the two games.

"I just feel like we're kind of suffocating the two teams that we played so far," veteran forward Kyle Okposo said. "More nights like (Saturday), sign me up."

Hutton is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average, though backup Linus Ullmark could make his season debut on Monday. Reinhart and Sheary scored as Buffalo snapped an 0-3-1 skid at Columbus with a 5-4 victory on Jan. 29.

The Blue Jackets struggled defensively in that game, and have certainly done so while being outscored 11-3 in losing their first two of 2019-20. Unlike a John Tortorella-coached team, this relatively young Columbus club allowed five second-period goals during Saturday's ugly 7-2 loss at Pittsburgh.

"(The Penguins) end up scoring a few goals and then we lose our composure as far as how we have to play," Tortorella told the Blue Jackets' official website. "It just gives me a great opportunity to start teaching as far as what the patience of our game has to be."

It was a rough NHL debut for highly touted goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who made 33 saves against the Penguins. Joonas Korpisalo, who stopped 25 shots in a 4-1 loss to Toronto on Friday and is 2-2-0 with 3.38 goals-against average versus Buffalo, could be back in net as the Blue Jackets look to rebound.

Columbus last opened with three straight defeats in 2015-16.

"We're a (freaking) good team," said 21-year-old center Pierre-Luc Dubois, who is still looking for his first point of the season. "We just have to believe in it."

--Field Level Media