| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
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0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
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CBJ GOALS: |
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Even a 2-1 exhibition loss can yield some positives.
That was the final in Buffalo on Tuesday night for the Columbus Blue Jackets, where the club lost to the Sabres for the second straight night.
But despite moving to 1-2-0 this preseason, it wasn't all bad for the Blue Jackets, who are seeing that their offseason acquisitions have the potential to be sneaky-good pickups.
Here are three things from Columbus' trip to Buffalo for preseason game number three:
Thing 1: Fedotov Has Another Good Night In Net
After Sunday night's preseason opener, newly-acquired goaltender Ivan Fedotov said that we have not seen his best work at the NHL level. That's good, because his rookie season in the 2024-25 campaign fell short of expectations while he was with the Philadelphia Flyers. But for the second straight game, Fedotov looked sharp in net Tuesday. He stopped 24 of 25 shots from a Sabres lineup that featured many players who are locks to make the opening night roster and has now stopped 38 of 40 shots in two preseason contests.
The expectation remains that Fedotov will be the Cleveland Monsters' starter in the AHL, but the organization's insurance policy in goal could evolve into something more. Fedotov can play.
Thing 2: Woody Notches Power Play Goal
If Miles Wood is seeing regular power play action in the regular season, something has likely gone awry the Blue Jackets. But it's the preseason, and the newly-acquired bottom-six forward for Columbus was parked in front of the net on the power play Tuesday night when he tipped a puck into the net for a goal in his union blue debut.
Miles Wood with the tip drill in front!
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) September 24, 2025
CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/AyRwivlcRM
Wood, who led the team with five shots on goal, was the "second" player in the deal when Columbus acquired Charlie Coyle from the Colorado Avalanche in June, but if he can continue to flash an ability to score in that role, he'll quickly prove himself to be more valuable than some originally anticipated.
Thing 3: Perhaps It Shouldn't Have Been A One-Goal Game, And Perhaps That's A Good Thing
There's always a dress rehearsal game or two in the preseason, and Tuesday appeared to be that for the Sabres. As mentioned, they played many of their projected opening night starters — and Columbus very much did not. So the fact that the Blue Jackets were outshot 34-19 for the game (including 14-2 in the second period) and won just 32.6% of the game's 52 faceoffs wasn't necessarily a shock. It could be argued that the surprise was the fact that, despite those numbers, the game was tied with less than ten minutes left in regulation before Jason Zucker's goal with 8:03 left put Buffalo in front for good. Columbus' roster of guys fighting for a spot in the opening night lineup played right there with the Sabres' top guns — that's impressive.
Up Next:
The fourth game in four days comes Wednesday night when the Blue Jackets host the Pittsburgh Penguins. Puck-drop at Nationwide Arena is 7 p.m.
