Preview: Jackets hunt for third straight win in series finale vs Buffalo

GAME 45: BLUE JACKETS (25-16-3) AT SABRES (10-24-9)
Location:KeyBank Center, 7 p.m., Thursday
TV:Fox Sports Ohio/Fox Sports Go
Radio:CD102.5 FM & BlueJackets.com
BUFFALO - Since deciding to be a little less risky on the offensive side, the Blue Jackets have won three of four games to keep their footing near the top of the Metropolitan Division.
They've leaned on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, along with playing solidly in front of him, and it's been a recipe for success. It also hasn't hurt that Columbus is the best team in the NHL at winning games that go past 60 minutes, coming out on top in 3-on-3 overtime or shootouts.
"I haven't spoken to them about it, other than defending, which we try to go man-on-man the best we can," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said of 3-on-3 OT strategies. "I have some thoughts, as we've seen 3-on-3. I have some thoughts about coaching it, but I'm not going to, because I think our guys have done a very good job with it and [have been] very instinctive. We're going to let 'em play."

The Jackets are coming off a back-to-back sweep in a home-road set against the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, with both games going beyond regulation time. They outlasted the Panthers, 3-2, in an eight-round shootout and beat Toronto 3-2 in OT, after tying the game, 2-2, with two goals in the final five minutes of the third period.
That improved their record to 11-0-3 in overtime/shootout games, including 6-0-0 in games that end in OT.
"I think 3-on-3, it is very instinctive," Tortorella said. "I think with good offensive players, the anticipation skills are really important. I think that's where they really show up, is in 3-on-3, in anticipating where the next play's going to be. Our team, I think we have some really smart guys, and I think we have some meat-and-potato guys that play on our 3-on-3, but they've found their way. I like the way we play. Quite honestly, I like watching it."
The Blue Jackets are also making progress with some of their injuries. Three players who started the day on injured reserve participated in their first full practice, and center Alex Wennberg was taken off injured reserve later in the day.
He didn't skate on any of the top four lines during rush line rushes, but is now available.
The other two were center Brandon Dubinsky (orbital bone fracture) and defenseman Ryan Murray (upper body). Getting Wennberg back should help the offensive production, which has dipped the past couple weeks without him, Dubinsky and forward Cam Atkinson in the lineup.
Buoyed by that news, the Jackets are seeking their third straight win when they face the Buffalo Sabres, who dropped their fourth straight game in regulation Tuesday, losing 7-4 to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday at KeyBank Center. The Sabres, who have just 29 points, are last in the Atlantic Division and have the fewest points in the Eastern Conference.
The game will begin the Blue Jackets' 11th back-to-back, out of 17 on the schedule. They'll conclude it Friday against the Vancouver Canucks at Nationwide Area, and then start their five-day bye period.
"These are big games coming up here, so we need all the points we can get," said defenseman Seth Jones, who was named to the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Wednesday. "Buffalo's coming off a pretty bad loss [Tuesday] night, so we know they're going to come out hot and try to prove a point. When you lose like they did, you know they're going to come out with a vengeance and try to make something happen early. We have a back-to-back, but we're going to lay it on the table in these next [two] games before the break."
SERIES RECORD
2017-18 Season: (2-0-0). This is the final meeting this season. The Blue Jackets are going for the series sweep after winning 5-1 Oct. 25 at Nationwide Arena and 3-2 Nov. 20 at KeyBank Arena in Buffalo.
First game:Seth Jones led the way with two points (goal and assist) for Columbus, which got points from 13 players and goals by five different guys. The Blue Jackets won, 5-1, by scoring once in the first period and three times in the final 4:40 of the second to build a 4-0 lead to start the third. Sergei Bobrovsky started and made 34 saves for Columbus.
Second game:The Blue Jackets built a 3-0 lead on goals by rookie center Pierre-Luc Dubois, Artemi Panarin and Boone Jenner, then held on to win 3-2 after the Sabres got goals in the third period by Sam Reinhart at 9:37 and Evander Kane at 16:28. Jones was called for holding Kane with 1:55 left in the third, but Columbus managed to stave off the power play thanks for Bobrovsky.
All-time (W-L-T-O): 17-10-1-0 overall; 9-6-0-0 at KeyBank Arena
WHO'S HOT
Blue Jackets: Seth Jones had another two-assist game Monday against the Maple Leafs, which was his second of the season and second in a row. Jones has 16 points (four goals, 12 assists) in the past 18 games, and has finished with points in all but five of them.
Sabres: Jack Eichel had two goals and an assist Tuesday in the loss to Winnipeg, while center Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and two assists. Right wing Kyle Okposo had three assists against the Jets.
EYES ON: THE BLUE JACKETS
EYES ON: THE SABRES
PROJECTED LINEUPS
BLUE JACKETS
Forwards
Artemi Panarin - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Josh Anderson
Boone Jenner - Alexander Wennberg - Nick Foligno
Matt Calvert - Lukas Sedlak - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Tyler Motte - Jordan Schroeder - Markus Hannikainen
Defensemen
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones
Markus Nutivaara - David Savard
Scott Harrington - Jack Johnson
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Joonas Korpisalo
Others:Dean Kukan, Sonny Milano (upper body), Zac Dalpe
Injured reserve:Ryan Murray (upper body), Brandon Dubinsky (fractured orbital bone), Cam Atkinson (fractured foot)
SABRES
Forwards
Evander Kane - Ryan O'Reilly - Jason Pominville
Zemgus Girgensons - Jack Eichel - Kyle Okposo
Scott Wilson - Evan Rodrigues - Sam Reinhart
Benoit Pouliot - Johan Larsson -- Jordan Nolan
Defensemen
Marco Scandella - Rasmus Ristolainen
Nathan Beaulieu - Jake McCabe
Brendan Guhle - Justin Falk
Goaltenders
Linus Ullmark
Chad Johnson
Others: Josh Gorges, Zach Bogosian, Robin Lehner
Injured reserve: Victor Antipin (illness), Jacob Josefson (lower body)