| 1 | 2 | 3 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
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CBJ GOALS: |
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No goals when it mattered most.
Despite 37 shots on goal, the Columbus Blue Jackets could not find the back of the net Thursday night in a 5-0 shutout loss to the Buffalo Sabres, dampening Columbus' dreams postseason dreams.
It was the first career shutout for Sabres rookie goaltender Colten Ellis, who was making his first start since before the Olympic break.
“Give their goalie all the credit in the world,” said Columbus head coach Rick Bowness. “That second period is one of the best periods we played all year, and we came out of it with nothing to show for it.”
Peyton Krebs goal at 13:41 of the first period was enough for the Sabres. Josh Doan would add a pair in the third, and Jack Quinn and Rasmus Dahlin also scored in a brutal final frame for the Blue Jackets.
The loss puts the Blue Jackets on life support when it comes to a chance at the postseason. Any realistic path now involves Columbus winning their last three games — given their 2-7-1 stretch over the last 10 games, that seems an arduous task.
"Wish we could have it back, of course, but that's not how it works," said Charlie Coyle, who has never missed the playoffs in his 14-year NHL career.
"We gotta prepare for (Montreal), and that's all we can focus on."
Jet Greaves finished with 19 saves on 23 shots for the Blue Jackets and made a number of key saves through the first 40 minutes to keep Columbus in the game before the third-period meltdown.
Here's how Columbus put themselves on the brink of missing out on the postseason:
1st Period:
(13:41 — BUF Goal): Krebs gives the Sabres a 1-0 lead on an odd-man rush. Zach Werenski's pass is broken up and Buffalo quickly moves up the ice, creating a 2-on-1. Krebs holds it as and fires as soon as he enters the right circle, beating Greaves to give Buffalo the lead.
Peyton Krebs comes down the right wing and fires the puck by Greaves, 1-0 #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabrehood #CBJ pic.twitter.com/xVrZJQxONL
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) April 9, 2026
2nd Period:
A scoreless second, but the Blue Jackets certainly had opportunities. A pair of goal posts, a power play where the dominated puck possession, and a total of 14 shots on goal to Buffalo's four. Adam Fantilli had a shot with Ellis was out of position but was already in position to pass and was unable to get a shot off, which would've been almost a sure goal. Despite the shot advantage, the best chance of the period came from the Sabres' Alex Tuch, who was robbed by Greaves late in the period.
3rd Period:
(7:19 — BUF Goal): Doan steals the puck from Charlie Coyle in the neutral zone and the rest is history. He skates in, slides away from a closing Gudbranson, and fires it past Greaves to double the Sabres lead to 2-0.
Josh Doan steals the puck and RIPS it home! pic.twitter.com/mxfHpbVuCt
— NHL (@NHL) April 10, 2026
(13:21, 13:46, 16:55 — BUF Goals): Two goals 25 seconds apart put the game out of reach by making it 4-0 Sabres. Jack Quinn gets the first one, Doan picks up his second of the night on the goal at 13:46. With the net empty, Rasmus Dahlin picks up his 19th of the season to bring it to the 5-0 final.
| CBJ | GAME STATS | BUF |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | SHOTS | 24 |
| 79 | SHOT ATTEMPTS | 46 |
| 31 | SCORING CHANCES | 22 |
| 16 | HIGH-DANGER CHANCES | 6 |
| 58% | FACEOFF PERCENTAGE | 42% |
| 0/4 | POWER PLAY | 0/2 |
| 2/2 | PENALTY KILL | 4/4 |
| 18 | HITS | 15 |
| 16 | GIVEAWAYS | 10 |
| 4 | TAKEAWAYS | 4 |
| 9 | BLOCKED SHOTS | 20 |
Stat Chat:
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This was the fourth time this season the Blue Jackets were shutout, and the third in the 2026 calendar year.
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This was the 243rd consecutive game for defenseman Ivan Provorov, which ties him with Jason Chimera for the second-longest streak in club history. RJ Umberger, with 288 straight, is the franchise leader.
- The Blue Jackets have now scored just 17 goals in the last 10 games, including what is now two shutouts. They've scored more than two goals in just three of those 10 games.
Up Next:
It's (again) desperation time: the Blue Jackets will need to find a way to win their last three games to have a realistic chance at the postseason. Up first? A trip to Montreal to face the Canadiens on Saturday night. Puck-drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
