Blue Jackets vs. Sabres Recap: Buffalo's Three-Goal 2nd Decides It

The Sabres beat the Blue Jackets 5-2 in Buffalo on Friday night, and the damage came at even strength. Jack Quinn opened the scoring at 6:50 of the 1st, Kent Johnson tied it for Columbus at 16:00, and Josh Norris put Buffalo back in front at 18:10. The Sabres took over in the 2nd with three goals in 6:23: Rasmus Dahlin at 4:30, Norris again at 9:46 and Josh Doan at 10:53. Zach Werenski scored on a Columbus power play at 18:21 of the 3rd. Buffalo outshot Columbus 37-26. Jet Greaves made 32 saves on 37 shots, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 24 of 26 for Buffalo. Three DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Zach Benson 1+ points (-150 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Benson had a point in each of his last 5 games and 9 of his last 10. Columbus was on the second night of a back-to-back and 1-4 on the road. - What happened: 0 goals, 1 assist, 3 shots on goal in 22:09, with 5:02 on the power play. His assist came on Norris's second goal at 9:46 of the 2nd, which made it 4-1. Cleared by 0.5. - Worth watching: Benson played 22:09 with more than five minutes of power-play time. That usage is what keeps his point streak going, so the angle stays live while his role holds.

Kent Johnson 1+ points (-120 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Johnson had a point in 11 of 14 games this season and 8 of his last 10. - What happened: 1 goal, 1 assist, 5 shots on goal in 16:22 (4:27 on the power play). He scored the Columbus equalizer at 16:00 of the 1st and assisted on Werenski's power-play goal at 18:21 of the 3rd. Cleared by 1.5. - Worth watching: Five shots on goal in about 16 minutes is strong volume. At -120, this was the best price of the three plays that cashed here, and it got there early.

Zach Werenski 1+ points (-175 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Werenski had a point in each of his last 5 games, 7 of 10 and 10 of 14 this season, and he played 29:21 the night before. - What happened: 1 goal, 3 shots on goal in 24:38 (4:17 on the power play). His point came late, a power-play wrist shot at 18:21 of the 3rd, with Johnson on the assist. Cleared by 0.5. - Worth watching: This one waited until the last two minutes of regulation. Power-play time is what gives a defenseman like Werenski a path to a point even when his team is chasing.

How the game played out

The 2nd period decided it. Buffalo turned a 2-1 lead into 5-1 with three even-strength goals, and Owen Power assisted on each of Buffalo's first three goals. Buffalo scored all five of its goals at even strength and came up empty on 4 power plays, while Columbus scored once on 3 chances.

Trends to watch

• Kent Johnson put 5 of Columbus's 26 shots on goal. He is getting looks even in a game his team trailed most of the way.
• Benson had 5:02 on the power play. Power-play time is what backs his points lines.
• Greaves faced 37 shots. A busy night in net is worth noting for future saves lines on this Columbus team.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. More NHL on the NHL hub and in our NHL recaps. How to read prices like -150: American odds.