Postgame Report | Sabres close out 2022-23 campaign with win in Columbus

COLUMBUS - Casey Mittelstadt extended his point streak to a career-best six games with a goal and an assist, helping propel the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-2 victory in their season finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets inside Nationwide Arena on Friday.
Jeff Skinner had a goal and two assists to finish the season with 82 points, his first time eclipsing the 80-point mark. Alex Tuch, Victor Olofsson and Peyton Krebs also scored.
Devon Levi made 29 saves.
Mittelstadt led the Sabres with 17 points (4+12) in their final 11 games, including the overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators on Friday. He set career highs in goals (15), assists (44), and points (59).

"It's been fun for sure," he said. "I think obviously a little bit of perseverance for me this year as well. I got through some struggles at the beginning and it feels good to come out a little bit on the other side and get rewarded a little bit for some hard work."
The Sabres finish the season with 91 points, their first time eclipsing the 90-point mark since 2010-11. Their 42 wins are also their most since 2010-11.
"I'm just proud of the perseverance," Mittelstadt said. "Obviously there were ups and downs and we stuck together and just kept playing. We're a young group and we knew that there were going to be ups and downs. I'm just proud of the boys for sticking together and coming out on the other side of it."

How it happened

PERIOD 1
Johnny Gaudreau buried a rebound from the right of the net to put the Blue Jackets on the board just 34 seconds into the contest. The Sabres responded by outshooting the Blue Jackets 16-8 in the period but were unable to put one past goaltender Jon Gillies.
Lukas Rousek had a pair of chances turned away by Gillies, one from in front and the next on a one-timer from the left faceoff circle.
PERIOD 2
Gillies and Levi traded saves early in the period - including breakaways for Jack Roslovic and Dylan Cozens - before the Sabres took the lead with three goals scored in a span of 5:25.
Mittelstadt and Skinner connected on a give-and-go play to ignite the run, with Skinner sending the return feed into an open net for his 35th goal of the season. Olofsson buried a loose puck from the slot for the go-ahead goal less than four minutes later.
Tuch punctuated the run with his 36th goal. He put the puck between the legs of forward Mikael Pyyhtia as he drove toward open ice in the right circle and ripped a shot off the far-side post.

Tyler Angle scored to bring the Blue Jackets back within one with 1:36 on the clock.
PERIOD 3
Gillies did not return for the third period due to a lower-body injury. He was replaced in goal by Michael Hutchinson.
Skinner delivered a pass through the blue paint to set up Mittelstadt's goal, which upped the Sabres' lead to 4-2 just 4:03 into the period.

With 2:33 remaining, Krebs attempted to deke his way around the Columbus defense and had the puck go in off the stick of a Blue Jackets player to close out the scoring.

What we learned

1. Henri Jokiharju left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and did not return.
   2. Tage Thompson did not play after sustaining an injury against Ottawa on Friday. He finished the season with 47 goals, the eighth-highest single-season total in Sabres history.
   3. Rousek joined the lineup in Thompson's place and played his second NHL game. The 23-year-old had a goal and an assist in his debut against Montreal on March 27. He finished Friday's game with two shots in 13:34 of action.
   4. Buffalo's 25 road wins tie the franchise record set in both 2005-06 and 2006-07.The mark is tied for the 26th most in NHL history.

Up next

The Sabres players will meet the media on Saturday and Sunday. Granato and general manager Kevyn Adams will hold end-of-season press conferences on Monday beginning at 10 a.m.
Stay tuned to Sabres.com and the Sabres' social media channels for the latest.