The Buffalo Sabres are set to host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday as they aim to continue their strong performance at home. The Sabres have secured four consecutive wins at KeyBank Center and have collected points in five of their last six games, holding a 4-1-1 record during that stretch. They are among seven NHL teams with at least four home victories this season.
Columbus arrives in Buffalo with a 3-1-0 road record, highlighted by a recent shootout win against Pittsburgh.
Tuesday’s game will also feature the team’s second-annual Buffalo Bills Night, which includes appearances from current and former Bills players.
The game is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. Local television coverage will be available on MSG starting with pregame programming at 6 p.m. Fans outside the market can stream the game via the Gotham Sports App or ESPN+, while radio coverage is provided by WGR 550 and the Buffalo Sabres App.
Defenseman Michael Kesselring is expected to make his debut for Buffalo after recovering from an injury sustained during training camp. The 25-year-old was acquired from Utah alongside Josh Doan in the offseason and missed the start of the season due to an undisclosed injury. “I thought it was just a little thing that was gonna nag me, and it was gonna go away; it just kept getting worse, so I had to deal with it and get back fully healthy,” Kesselring said. “It’s a long season. At the end of the day, if I missed [nine] games, whatever it is, it’s not the end of the world.”
Columbus has started its season evenly with a 4-4-0 record, relying on solid even-strength play and allowing only 11 goals at five-on-five—the fewest in the league so far. Forwards Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko each have four even-strength goals this season, while their line with Sean Monahan has outscored opponents 7-0 when together at five-on-five.
Special teams could play a significant role in Tuesday’s matchup; while special teams have been effective for Buffalo this year, Columbus ranks last in penalty killing and has allowed power-play goals in all but two games this season.
