Sabres take win streak into matchup with the Blue Jackets
Buffalo Sabres (35-36-6, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (35-33-9, in the Metropolitan Division)
Columbus, Ohio; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres will attempt to prolong a five-game win streak with a victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Columbus has a 23-10-5 record at home and a 35-33-9 record overall. The Blue Jackets have a 6-7-8 record in games decided by one goal.
Buffalo has a 35-36-6 record overall and a 13-22-3 record on the road. The Sabres have gone 32-11-5 when scoring three or more goals.
The matchup Thursday is the third time these teams square off this season. The Sabres won 3-2 in the last meeting. Alex Tuch led the Sabres with two goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kirill Marchenko has 31 goals and 39 assists for the Blue Jackets. Boone Jenner has six goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
Tage Thompson has 44 goals and 27 assists for the Sabres. Tuch has scored eight goals and added five assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Jackets: 4-5-1, averaging three goals, 5.2 assists, 3.4 penalties and eight penalty minutes while giving up 3.9 goals per game.
Sabres: 8-2-0, averaging 4.4 goals, 7.1 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Marco Sturm was ‘selfishly' happy the Bruins didn't play well last season
BOSTON — The Bruins finished the 2024-25 season at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016. But for new coach Marco Sturm, he didn't mind how the season panned out. Advertisement 'Selfishly, I'm glad the Bruins didn't play well last year because otherwise I wouldn't be here,' Sturm said Tuesday after he was officially introduced as the Bruins coach. The Bruins faced a slew of issues last season throughout the lineup. An 8-9-3 start led to the dismissal of Jim Montgomery, but Boston never quite found a steady groove under interim coach Joe Sacco. Sturm, who spent five seasons with the Bruins, knows what it takes to win and knows what the fans expect. Offense is atop Sturm's list of areas to address immediately, but understands there are no quick fixes. 'It's not going to happen overnight, but that's something I will address right away,' he said. Advertisement The Bruins averaged 2.71 goals per game last year, which was tied for last in the Eastern Conference. Their power play ranked 29th, and the team had just two players — David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie — to reach the 20-goal mark. Despite the issues at hand, Sturm is confident in the Bruins due to the talent they already have on the roster. But he knows talent alone won't be enough to get Boston back on track. 'I'm really looking forward to also pushing the team to the next level,' Sturm said. 'It's going to be up to me and my coaching staff, up to my players, up to management and also up to the fans of the Boston Bruins. 'I know we have a lot of work to do and we won't fix it overnight. But it will start Day 1 of training camp,' he added. 'Teams win championships, not one coach or one player.' More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan voted Masterton Trophy winner
Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan is the winner of the 2024-25 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. It's the first time a Blue Jacket has won the award, which is presented annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. No player in the league exemplified those qualities more than Monahan, who was voted the Masterton winner by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Monahan, 30, signed with the Blue Jackets on July 1, 2024, primarily to reunite with Johnny Gaudreau. The two were close friends after playing nearly a decade together in Calgary, so Monahan jumped at a chance to rekindle that spark as a free agent — two years after Gaudreau stunned the NHL by picking the Blue Jackets. Advertisement Instead, an offseason tragedy that took the lives of Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, on Aug. 29, 2024, in Oldmans Township, New Jersey dashed those plans, leaving Monahan emotionally gutted. His Columbus debut began with a heavy heart, forcing Monahan and his new teammates to bond through shared grief and fond memories of Gaudreau. 'John's someone who brings people together," Monahan said after the the NHL announced him as the Masterton winner June 5. "So, going to a new team, everyone knew him well, and I said it plenty of times this year ... I felt like that was where I was supposed to be, playing in Columbus. And I don't take that for granted. Being a Blue Jacket, what it means to be a Blue Jacket and the guys I'm surrounded with every day in the organization and my teammates, it's a real special place to play." Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan waves to his son, Leo, and wife, Brittany, during warm-ups before Columbus' season finale, an April 17 game against the Islanders. Monahan became a special part of the Blue Jackets' lineup while centering the top forward line and playing the critical "bumper" position for the first power-play group. Together, Monahan and the Blue Jackets became the NHL's most improved team, improving by 23 points from 2023-24, and nearly qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs under new head coach Dean Evason. Advertisement Monahan, who missed more than two months with a wrist injury, was a driving force with 19 goals, 38 assists and 57 points in just 54 games. "I was playing with some great players, and I was confident in my game," Monahan said. "I worked really hard to get back to where I wanted to be, and I think I've still got a lot to prove and a lot to prove to myself. I think we should be a playoff team every year. This year was a bit of a step forward, but we didn't get where we wanted to, so ... it's a big summer for our group to get ready for next season.' Sep 18, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan speaks during media day press conference at Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets start training camp on Sept. 19. Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny Gaudreau's widow, presented Monahan with the trophy in a surprise visit to his offseason home near Toronto. The NHL shared a moving video on social media of her surprising Monahan with the award, and both had tears flowing. Advertisement "I had no idea," Monahan said. "I was kind of waiting around all dressed up for a while because I was told we were doing family photos, and my mom was here and was going to help us with the little guy (1-year old Leo) and to get set up. It definitely caught me off guard, so it was just presented in a special way, and they did a great job to surprise me.' Monahan is the sixth person in Blue Jackets history to win one of the NHL's major awards. The other five are: Rick Nash — 2003-04 Maurice 'Rocket Richard Trophy (NHL goal leader), 2008-09 NHL Foundation Award Steve Mason — 2008-09 Calder Memorial Trophy (top rookie) Sergei Bobrovsky — 2012-13 and 2016-17 Vezina Trophy (top goalie) Nick Foligno — 2016-17 Mark Messier Leadership Award, 2016-17 King Clancy Memorial Trophy (leadership, community contributions) John Tortorella — 2016-17 Jack Adams Trophy (coach of the year). Center Sean Monahan had 19 goals, 38 assists and 57 points in 54 games with the Blue Jackets this season. Foligno (2018-19) and Kevin Dineen (2000-01, 2001-02) preceded Monahan as Blue Jackets finalists for the Masterton Trophy. Runners-up to Monahan for the 2024-25 Masterton are Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who's retiring after a distinguished career, and Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, who returned in the playoffs after a three-year absence due to a knee injury. Advertisement Monahan also went through injury difficulties prior to signing with the Blue Jackets, playing just 90 games combined for the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens between 2021 and 2023 due to multiple health challenges that included two hip surgeries, a groin surgery and a broken foot. A wrist surgery kept him out for two-plus months with the Blue Jackets, while at the same time grieving Gaudreau. "It's definitely special to get the award," Monahan said. "I've said it before. I don't need the recognition. Everybody's going through different things in their life, but I worked hard to get where I am, and I went through ups and downs. And to be in Columbus and be healthy and able to play the game I love is something I don't take for granted.' Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@ and @ Get more on the Columbus Blue Jackets with our Cannon Fodder podcast This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets' Sean Monahan voted Masterton Trophy winner
14 hours ago
Edmonton and Florida meet with series tied 2-2
Florida Panthers (47-31-4, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Edmonton Oilers (48-29-5, in the Pacific Division) Edmonton, Alberta; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Oilers -120, Panthers +100; over/under is 6.5 STANLEY CUP FINAL: Series tied 2-2 BOTTOM LINE: The Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers are in a 2-2 series tie in the Stanley Cup Final. The teams meet Thursday for the seventh time this season. The Oilers won 5-4 in overtime in the last matchup. Edmonton has a 32-14-4 record in home games and a 48-29-5 record overall. The Oilers have gone 25-11-5 when scoring a power-play goal. Florida is 47-31-4 overall and 29-21-3 on the road. The Panthers serve 10.3 penalty minutes per game to lead the league. TOP PERFORMERS: Leon Draisaitl has 52 goals and 54 assists for the Oilers. Corey Perry has four goals and two assists over the past 10 games. Aleksander Barkov Jr. has 20 goals and 51 assists for the Panthers. Sam Bennett has scored eight goals and added four assists over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Oilers: 7-2-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.9 assists, 5.4 penalties and 15.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game. Panthers: 7-1-2, averaging 4.5 goals, 7.8 assists, 6.2 penalties and 19.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game. INJURIES: Oilers: None listed. Panthers: None listed. ___
