Final Score: Blue Jackets 3 – Sabres 2
Game Summary The Jackets are a very good team, the Sabres not so much. This game went as it was expected to go. The Jackets controlled the game right from the puck drop. They had a 55.56% Corsi in the first period and had 12-7 shot advantage.
Pierre-Luc Dubois got the Jackets on the board early in the second.
Little bit of chaos in front and Dubois capitalizes. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/osABC6CG2V
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 21, 2017
The goal comes off a broken play but when you’re having trouble scoring you’ll take them any way you can get them. For Dubois this was arguably the best game of his young NHL career. He scored the goal, his third of the season, but he also set a new career high with five shots, and played 16:05 also a career high. If that wasn’t enough he also had a 75% Corsi, the second highest of his career. He looked really good game and is quickly becoming a quality NHL player. Artemi Panarin extended the Jackets lead in third, and just like his goal last game against the Rangers, this one was ripped.
Lob pass.
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 21, 2017
Sweet hands.
Laser shot.
That one's going on the highlight reel. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/SopTOFcuZH
(Side note this is an incredible pass by Markus Nutivaara)
Robin Lehner has hardly any time to react to this shot; he doesn’t even get down in the butterfly. As mentioned last game Panarin’s shot is deadly. He can beat goalies from pretty much anywhere on the ice, and his release is so quick he only needs a little bit of space to get it off. He creates just a little bit of separation from the Buffalo defender and that’s all the space he needs. That’s Panarin’s third goal in the last four games. He's starting to heat up.
The Jackets third goal was like the first goal a bit but it came off of more of a set play.
Giving Boone Jenner space in front of the net doesn't seem wise. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/iDpMVF9L5B
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) November 21, 2017
Brandon Dubinsky makes a good play to take the puck around the net and gives Cam Atkinson a real good feed. It’s difficult to tell if the defender gets his stick in there or if Atkinson just fanned on the shot, either way the puck is just sitting there and Boone Jenner is able to walk right in and bury it.
With a 3-0 lead the Jackets sat back for much of the third. The let Buffalo back into game and the Sabres almost made them pay. 13 seconds after Jenner’s goal Sam Reinhart scored for Buffalo. That gave the building life and they kept the pressure on. Evander Kane scored a few minutes later to make it 3-2. With the goalie pulled the Jackets were just hanging on, they couldn’t get control of the puck but Buffalo was fortunately unable to tie it. All in all Buffalo had a 68.97% Corsi and outshot the Jackets 15-5 in the final period. The Jackets need to be tighter defensively when they have a late lead.
Stat of the Night
#CBJ score first for the 5th-straight game as Pierre-Luc Dubois notches his 3rd of the season less than 5 minutes into the 2nd.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) November 21, 2017
Stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick and Hockey-Reference.
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