National Hockey League
Buffalo 4, Columbus 0
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, February 19, 2016
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Referees: Francis Charron, Tim Peel
Linesmen: Tim Nowak, Vaughan Rody
Attendance: 14923

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner made 38 saves, including a number of point-blank stops, to earn his shutout in more than two seasons.

But it was his willingness to scrap late in the third period of a 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets that opened eyes on Friday in Nationwide Arena.

Lehner jumped into a scrum midway through the third period and tried to fight Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson after Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian was thrust into the boards on a hooking penalty by Blue Jackets left winger Boone Jenner.

"It's disgusting," Lehner said. "It's disgusting to see a teammate go down like that. I just didn't want (Johnson) to jump into the pile. He didn't want to (fight) or anything."

Sabres left winger Jamie McGinn had his first two-goal game of the season, while center David Legwand and center Sam Reinhart also scored. Rookie Jack Eichel had two assists.

Still, Lehner was the buzz of the Sabres' dressing room after the game. His last shutout was Jan. 14, 2014 -- 53 starts ago -- when he played for the Ottawa Senators.

"(Lehner) is an engaged goalie," Buffalo coach Dan Bylsma said. "Maybe the most engaged goalie I've ever been able to coach. He was on his game, he was strong.

"Even in the third period, when we needed a bump in how we were playing, he was the guy coming over to the bench to provide that."

When asked about Lehner's willingness to scrap -- he was given minor penalties for roughing and leaving the crease -- Bylsma cracked: "I've never had a goalie get four penalty minutes and a shutout in one game."

It was a rough night for the Blue Jackets, who had their season-long, six-game point streak snapped. They were shutout for the third time this season.

Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo finished with 27 saves, but he let in one goal that will not soon be forgotten.

Legwand's goal, his fifth of the season, brought a groan from weary Blue Jackets fans.

From his own zone as the Sabres were killing a penalty, Legwand gathered the puck inside a faceoff circle and sent it sailing down the middle of the ice before Buffalo's penalty-killers headed to the bench to change.

The puck took one bounce about five feet in front of Korpisalo, shot slightly to the right and sailed into the net as Korpisalo froze.

The NHL's official play by play charted it as a 149-foot goal.

"Four goals in three periods ... that's too much," Korpisalo said. "And of course the second goal ... weird bounce, but that should never go in.

"I tried to get as close as possible to the puck, but you did see what happened. I didn't succeed."

The Blue Jackets had several "grade A" chances, but Lehner would cede no ground.

In the first period, he went post-to-post to rob Blue Jackets' right winger Cam Atkinson from the doorstep, and early in the third he did the same to stone Blue Jackets rookie left winger Kerby Rychel.

Asked if he could recall a better performance by an opposing goaltender this season, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella didn't pause.

"I can't remember one," Tortorella said. "My memory is not that good, but I don't remember one. You could see in the first period that it was one of those games. As the game went on, he was big. He looked big in the net."

The Sabres lost two defensemen to injury during the game.

At 16:55 of the second, Blue Jackets left wing Scott Hartnell was given a five-minute boarding major for hitting Sabres defenseman Cody Franson from behind.

"He appeared to be a bit woozy," Bylsma said.

Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian was hooked into the wall by Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner at 11:30 of the third, sparking the scrum that Lehner jumped into.

Bogosian was getting stitched after the game, Bylsma said, but he didn't have a further update.

NOTES: Buffalo LW Evander Kane returned to the lineup after a one-game, club-imposed suspension for missing a recent practice. Kane overslept on Monday, the morning after attending the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, and he missed Tuesday's 2-1 overtime loss to Ottawa. ... Blue Jackets G Joonas Korpisalo made his 11th consecutive start, the longest string by a Columbus netminder this season. ... Sabres C Ryan O'Reilly and C Zemgus Girgensons missed Thursday's practice with an illness, but were in the lineup.
Top Game Performances
 
Buffalo   Columbus
Jamie McGinn 2 Points N/A
Jamie McGinn 2 Goals N/A
Jack Eichel 2 Assists N/A
Jamie McGinn 1 Power Play Goals N/A
David Legwand 1 Short Handed Goals N/A
Robin Lehner 1.000 Save Percentage Curtis McElhinney 1.000
Robin Lehner 38 Saves Joonas Korpisalo 27
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Buffalo 35 4 1-5 6-6 16 26
Columbus 38 0 0-6 4-5 28 29
Upcoming Games
  • Columbus will play their next game on the road against Boston. The Blue Jackets have a W/L % of .458 after a win and .343 after a loss.
  • Buffalo will play their next game at home against Pittsburgh. The Sabres have a W/L % of .391 after a win and .417 after a loss.