Preview: Jackets seeking top gear and fourth straight win

GAME 21: BLUE JACKETS (12-7-1) AT SABRES (5-11-4)
KEYBANK CENTER, 7 P.M., MONDAY
TV: FOX SPORTS OHIO/FOX SPORTS GO
RADIO: 97.1 FM & BLUEJACKETS.COM
The Blue Jackets will try to push their winning streak to four in a row, after defeating the New York Rangers, 2-0, Friday at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus wasn't thrilled with the first two games of its three-game win streak, but had a solid effort to beat the Rangers for the second time in three games this season.
"I thought we played in the areas we needed to play in," coach John Tortorella said Sunday, after practice at Nationwide Arena. "We were better. It was a game that I thought we deserved to win. I'm pretty honest about winning and losing. We won some games prior to that, that, really, we went in the back door. We're still getting chances from, really, our secondary guys. We still haven't gotten our top guys untracked, but I thought we played good."
Next up is the Buffalo Sabres, who've lost five straight (0-3-2) and have scored one-or-fewer goals in five of their past seven games (1-4-2). Buffalo is coming off a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday at KeyBank Center, when Carolina's Sebastian Aho scored the game-winner directly off a turnover in the third period.
The Blue Jackets have scored two-or-fewer goals in their past five games (3-2-0), including just one regulation goal in four of them.
Columbus is still searching for a breakout game for several star players, including captain Nick Foligno, who doesn't have a point since the first game against Buffalo this season, Oct. 25 in Columbus.
"We're trying to get on the right road," Tortorella said. "We're trying to nail down our identity. It's taken us long enough here. No one is going to hide from that, and Nick has to play better. For us to be better, he has to play better in all situations."

It's a different story in net, where goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is on top of his game. He's started the past four games, going 3-1-0, and is coming off a 36-save performance against New York for his second shutout of the season.
Bobrovsky could make his fifth straight start, which would be his season-high for consecutive games.
SERIES RECORD
2017-18 Season: (1-0-0). This is the second of three games in the season series. The Blue Jackets will visit KeyBank Center on Jan. 11 for the finale.
All-time: 16-10-1 overall; 8-6-0 at Nationwide Arena
"BY THE NUMBERS"
EYES ON: THE BLUE JACKETS
EYES ON: THE SABRES
QUOTABLES
"It's been a little harder than the past two years. You've just got to stay positive. It's going to come back at some point. It happens to everybody, to have those moments you go through. It could be five games, 10 games, 20 games. You've just got to get back to where you can play and help the team to win games." - Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard on his recent struggles
"Yeah, his pockets are full of money, and he found a new gear." - Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, joking about Cam Atkinson's uptick in play Friday, after signing a seven-year contract extension.
"I think it was advice from my dad, [that] you better make an impact in the game somehow. He always said, 'If you're not scoring, you better be hitting. If you're not hitting, you'd better be fighting. If you're not fighting, then get the hell off the ice.'." - Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno, quoting his dad, former NHL player Mike Foligno.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
BLUE JACKETS
Forward lines (12)
Artemi Panarin - Nick Foligno - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Boone Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson
Tyler Motte - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Josh Anderson
Sonny Milano - Jordan Schroeder - Markus Hannikainen
Defense pairings (6)
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Jack Johnson - David Savard
Ryan Murray - Markus Nutivaara
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Power Play 1
Foligno
Atkinson - Bjorkstrand - Panarin
Jones
Power Play 2
Jenner
Milano - Dubois - Dubinsky
Werenski
Others:Scott Harrington, Gabriel Carlsson
Injured reserve:Lukas Sedlak (ankle), Matt Calvert (upper body)
SABRES
Forward lines (12)
Evander Kane - Ryan O'Reilly - Sam Reinhart
Benoit Pouliot - Johan Larsson- Kyle Okposo
Zemgus Girgensons - Jack Eichel - Jason Pominville
Seth Griffith - Kyle Criscuolo - Jordan Nolan
Defense pairings (6)
Marco Scandella - Justin Falk
Jake McCabe - Nathan Beaulieu
Josh Gorges - Viktor Antipin
Goaltenders
Robin Lehner
Chad Johnson
Power Play 1
O'Reilly
Eichel - Kane - Okposo
Scandella
Power Play 2
Reinhart
Pominville - Pouliot - Beaulieu
McCabe
Others: Casey Nelson, Matt Moulson
Injured reserve: Evan Rodrigues (hand), Zach Bogosian (lower body), Jacob Josefson (lower body), Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body), Matt Tennyson (foot), Taylor Fedun (lower body)