COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Boone Jenner scored the go-ahead goal on the power play 6:42 into the third period, helping the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-2 comeback victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Zachary Aston-Reese and James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Blue Jackets, who trailed 2-0 and ended the surging Sabres' five-game winning streak.
With the game tied at 2, Jenner put a wrist shot past James Reimer to put Columbus up for the first time off assists from Sean Monahan and Kirill Marchenko.
Jet Greaves stopped 39 shots for Columbus.
Rasmus Dahlin and John-Jason Peterka each had goals for the Sabres. Reimer finished with 27 saves.
Sabres: Buffalo, which will miss the playoffs for the 14th straight year, has lost only twice in its last 10 games.
Blue Jackets: Columbus staved off elimination from the playoff hunt and moved within six points of Montreal for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Columbus went on the power play for the first — and only — time in the game when Buffalo's Sam Lafferty was called for slashing Zach Werenski at 14:37 of the third period. Jenner took advantage with the go-ahead score.
While Columbus went 1 for 1 on the power play, Buffalo went 0 for 1.
Sabres: Play at Florida on Saturday night.
Blue Jackets: Host Washington on Saturday.
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Columbus Blue Jackets' Dmitri Voronkov celebrates hid goal against the Ottawa Senators during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard missed Monday night's 4-1 loss to Edmonton because of an illness.
The Blackhawks have been hit hard by a stomach bug going around their locker room. While Bedard was scratched against the Oilers, goaltender Spencer Knight and defenseman Louis Crevier returned to the lineup. Backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom also was available.
Teuvo Teravainen departed in the first period because of an upper-body injury. The Blackhawks are off on Tuesday, and coach Jeff Blashill said he would have an update on the forward on Wednesday.
“He could be OK. I just don’t know yet for sure. He couldn’t finish the game,” Blashill said. “We’ll go under evaluation here tomorrow and it might be something where he’s OK, might not be."
Bedard has 19 goals and a team-high 27 assists in 33 games. The 20-year-old center missed 12 games with a right shoulder injury before returning on Friday night against Washington. He had two assists in Saturday night's 3-0 victory at Nashville.
The Blackhawks also played without center Frank Nazar, who has missed 11 straight games after he was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20.
“We’d prefer any of our great players in the lineup. But the reality is, when you don’t have them, you just come together,” captain Nick Foligno said. “It’s a game where you tighten up and do it for them, or do it for each other, or you play the right way. Today, we just allowed them to get their game right away. We didn’t make it hard on them.”
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Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard warms up before an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
