The Buffalo Sabres clinched 30th place in the National Hockey League following their 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday evening inside Nationwide Arena.
Anders Lindback stopped 36 shots of the 39 faced with a .923 save percentage. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 of the 25 shots he faced on the evening.
In the first period, Nick Foligno started the scoring 14 seconds into the game. A loose puck floated in front of the high slot and Foligno beat Moulson to the puck and slotted the puck top shelf on Buffalo’s Lindback. The goal was his 31st of the season along with the 23rd assists by Dubinsky and Savard.
Buffalo’s Mikhail Grigorenko knotted the game at 2:11 later. Brian Gionta laid a pass back to to Grigorenko who was able to get his shot passed a dropped Bobrovsky. The shot from the right faceoff circle was Grigorenko’s goal was his third of the year along with the 22nd assist from Gionta and 12th assist by Moulson.
Matt Calvert gave Columbus the 2-1 advantage at the 9:35 mark with his 13th of the season, a snapshot from the left side of Lindback. After a passing cycle by the Blue Jackets, Calvert found an opening amongst the Buffalo defense and was able to put the shot home.
The lone goal in the second period came from Gionta as he buried his 13th of the season. Tyler Ennis fed a cruising Gionta to a brief two on one and released a quick shot nearside on Bobrovsky.
The Blue Jackets pulled away in the third period as Cam Atkinson added his 21st of the year as he put away a wrist shot against Lindback. Boone Jenner buried an empty netter with 10 seconds remaining to add to the deficit.
The Sabres conclude the 2014-15 regular season against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 p.m. inside the First Niagara Center in Buffalo.