Blue Jackets may shake up lineup vs. Sabres (Oct 25, 2017)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Two consecutive home losses after a 5-1-0 start might prompt the Columbus Blue Jackets to shake up their forward lines when they play host to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night at Nationwide Arena.
Veteran center Nick Foligno worked the past two days in practice with wingers Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin on the top line, and Alexander Wennberg apparently will take Foligno's spot as the point man on the No. 2 line.
Coach John Tortorella is looking for a spark that can get the Blue Jackets (5-3-0) back on track against the Sabres, who will be playing the second half of a back-to-back after a 1-0 home victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
Last season, the Blue Jackets lost consecutive games only four times just one of those occasions at home. The Wednesday contest will be the third game in a four-game homestand. Columbus fell 6-4 to the Los Angeles Kings in its last outing on Saturday night.
Tortorella chose to keep the reasons for the lineup alterations close to the vest.
"Obviously, I have to make some changes," he said Tuesday, "but I'm not going to get into where guys are playing."
The Blue Jackets were also forced into some moves in the back end of their rotation after fourth-line center Lukas Sedlak sustained an ankle injury during practice Monday.
The 24-year-old, who is expected to be sidelined for six weeks after being placed on injured reserve, had two goals and four penalty minutes in eight games.
"He brings a lot to the table with the penalty kill and just being another solid center on our team," forward Matt Calvert said of Sedlak, "and with us struggling a bit on faceoffs, there's guys who have to step up in that center role."
Zac Dalpe, an eight-year NHL veteran, likely will take Sedlak's place as the fourth-line center between Calvert and rookie Sonny Milano, who leads the Blue Jackets with five goals.
Left winger Markus Hannikainen was recalled from Cleveland of the AHL to fill Sedlak's roster spot.
In the Blue Jackets' loss to the Kings, Columbus ended a power-play drought that extended back to the season opener. The Blue Jackets hope for continued improvement with the man advantage and on faceoffs.
"We're obviously not a team that should be dead last in the league in faceoffs," Foligno said, "but I do like we're tenacious to get it back, and it hasn't cost us right now."
The Sabres (3-5-2) have won two straight for the first time this season after a rough start. The 32-save shutout by Robin Lehner on Tuesday night gave Buffalo its first home win.
"We have things we need to get better at," Lehner said after his first shutout this season and the sixth of his career. "But from the defensive end, it was real good."
The Sabres' only goal came from Benoit Pouliot, a 31-year-old veteran in his first season with Buffalo. He signed with the Sabres in the summer after three years with the Edmonton Oilers, and he has goals in two consecutive games.
"I feel pretty good right now," Pouliot said. "It's just a matter of getting the bounces going your way and working hard and using my legs. My speed is my game, and that's something I've got to bring every day."
Sabres coach Phil Housley hopes the back-to-back wins give his team some confidence heading into Columbus.
"The parity in this league is so tight right now," Housley said. "Anybody can beat anybody. The teams that really come to work and are determined seem to get the results. That's 60 minutes. That's not one period or two periods."
