Gameday Guide: Nov. 22 at Buffalo

The word of the day as the Blue Jackets completed morning skate ahead of
tonight's game in Buffalo
was uncharacteristic.
As in, the way Columbus played the last two periods of Saturday night's 3-2 loss in Vegas was uncharacteristic. Turnovers, mental mistakes, a struggling power play and a lack of compete all combined to see the Golden Knights outshoot the Jackets by a 28-16 margin in the last 40 minutes and turn what had been a 2-0 CBJ lead into Jackets loss.

"It was definitely uncharacteristic, and something we want to get rid of quickly and out of our game," Sean Kuraly said. "It's not like us to have some of those turnovers and high-risk plays. We want to be a little bit smarter. It's definitely something we are going to try to end right there, and I think we will."
The goal is to get back to their game tonight against the Sabres in a matchup of two teams that are likely smarting a bit. The Blue Jackets have to feel like one got away in Vegas, while Buffalo saw the Rangers earn a win Sunday night in the Big Apple by breaking a 4-4 tie on Charlie Lindgren's goal with less than a second to play.
"I think we know how we have to play in order to be successful, and that wasn't it," Werenski said of Saturday night. "So it's a big game for us tonight to end the road trip off. Hopefully we can go 2 for 3. It's a back-to-back for them. They played last night and had a tough loss, so I'm sure they'll be hungry tonight to get back in the win column as well. We know how we have to play in order to win this game."

3 Keys to the Game

Find the energy: Both teams could be dragging a bit, with Columbus at the end of a three-game, cross-country trip and Buffalo having played last night on the road. The team that finds its energy will have an edge.
Keep it simple: The Jackets got into trouble Saturday in Vegas when their game got a little cute. Columbus needs to lean into its game and get back to basics to start things off.
Power moves: The power play was great Thursday in Arizona and Columbus won. It struggled Saturday in Vegas and the Golden Knights were victorious. It can be a difference maker for the Jackets.

Notable

Four CBJ players have notched their first career NHL goals this year - Yegor Chinakhov, Justin Danforth, Cole Sillinger and Gregory Hofmann. … Twenty-two of the 24 skaters to play this year for Columbus have notched at least one point. … With two assists Saturday, Zach Werenski topped the 200-point mark (69-132-201) for his NHL career. He is in the midst of a four-game point streak (2-4-6). … Captain Boone Jenner has a team-best nine goals, including two last Thursday vs. the Coyotes, after having eight all of last year in 41 games. He has five tallies in the last eight games. … Oliver Bjorkstrand has a team high 17 points (5-12-17), with five multipoint games in 14 games. … Jakub Voracek saw his seven-game point streak (1-9-10) snapped in Vegas. … All three games between the teams in 2019-20 went to overtime, with Columbus going 0-1-2. … Columbus is 7-3-2 in the last 12 meetings over the past four years. ... This is the only game in an eight-game stretch that is not against a Western Conference team for the Blue Jackets.

Projected Lineup

(Subject to change)
Gustav Nyquist - Boone Jenner - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Yegor Chinakhov - Cole Sillinger - Jakub Voracek
Gregory Hofmann - Jack Roslovic - Max Domi
Eric Robinson - Sean Kuraly - Alexandre Texier
Zach Werenski - Jake Bean
Vladislav Gavrikov - Andrew Peeke
Gavin Bayreuther - Adam Boqvist
Joonas Korpisalo (confirmed starter)
Elvis Merzlikins
Scratches: Justin Danforth, Gabriel Carlsson, Scott Harrington
Injured Reserve:Emil Bemstrom (oblique; four to six weeks as of Oct. 14); Dean Kukan (wrist; eight weeks as of Oct. 26); Patrik Laine (oblique; four to six weeks as of Nov. 5)
Roster Report:Korpisalo starts after Merzlikins was given four straight nods in net, while Hofmann will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch Saturday. Who comes out will be a game-time decision, but Danforth was the odd man out during line rushes.

This Day in CBJ History

Nov. 22, 2002: Marc Denis starts his 20th consecutive game to begin the season, as the Blue Jackets posted a 5-4 loss in Buffalo that dropped the team to 8-8-2-2. Jean-Francois Labbe would take the net the next night in Ottawa, then Denis would start the next 21 games on the way to setting a then-NHL record for minutes played in a season.
Nov. 22, 2006: After head coach Gerard Gallant was fired Nov. 13 and Gary Agnew took over for the next five games, Ken Hitchcock is named the fourth head coach in Blue Jackets history.
Nov. 22, 2008/2010/2017: For the second straight gameday, the Blue Jackets have earned three shutouts all time on Nov. 22. Steve Mason's first career shutout was on this date in 2008, he also blanked Nashville two years later on Nov. 22, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves in a 1-0 overtime win over Calgary in 2017.
Nov. 22, 2017: Josh Anderson scored the winning goal in that 1-0 overtime win for the Blue Jackets over the Flames. It was the second 1-0 OT win in team history at the time and remains just the third.