Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Michal Neuvirth made 45 saves and the
Buffalo Sabres edged the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-2, on Tuesday.
Zemgus Girgensons recorded a goal and an assist for Buffalo before hurting
himself on a blocked shot. Cody Hodgson, Mark Pysyk and Chris Stewart also lit
the lamp for the Sabres, who had lost six of seven coming in.
Columbus goals by Kevin Connauton and Matt Calvert went for naught as Anton
Forsberg remained winless in four career starts between the pipes. The 22-
year-old rookie from Sweden allowed all four goals on 31 shots.
The first goal he allowed was relatively soft, as a Hodgson shot trickled
through his pads at the 9:30 mark of the opening period.
He was overly aggressive five minutes later, as he came out of his crease and
tried to poke-check a loose puck away from Girgensons, who stick-handled
around him en route to his third short-handed goal of the season.
Brandon Dubinsky’s no-look pass from behind the net led to Calvert’s goal 1:18
into the second, but Pysyk beat Forsberg with a wrister 42 seconds later.
After Stewart’s power-play goal off a Girgensons faceoff win made it 4-1,
Connauton found the right corner off a blocked shot to pull Columbus within
two heading into the third.
Neuvirth upheld the lead with 18 saves over the final 20 minutes.
Game Notes
The Blue Jackets have lost three in a row overall … The Sabres are 3-0-1 in
their last four road games … Columbus went 0-for-4 on the power play.
