Columbus vs Buffalo Prediction 22 September 2025
📣 How will the "Blue Jackets" fare in their second preseason matchup? This time, they're up against the "Blades," a team with a youthful and intriguing roster, yet one that's struggled to make the playoffs for fourteen seasons.
Head-to-Head
During last year's preseason, the "Blue Jackets" and the "Sabres" faced off and exchanged high-scoring victories. On September 24, the New York team dominated their opponents with a 6-1 win. In that match, the "Sabres" fielded a more optimal lineup, and thanks to the efforts of Tage Thompson and Owen Power, they seized control by the middle of the second period. In the second encounter on September 29, it was the "Sabres" who conceded 6 goals, having decided to play their second consecutive game without their key players. Canadian forward Sean Monahan scored twice for the "Blue Jackets" in that match. Notably, by the end of last regular season, Columbus held the advantage with 2 wins in three head-to-head meetings against the "Sabres".
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Columbus Blue Jackets Team Overview
The "Blue Jackets" had a chance to make the playoffs last season for the first time in a while, but they were edged out by Montreal, delaying their postseason hopes for at least another year. Over the summer, the Jackets strengthened their roster with the additions of Charlie Coyle, Miles Wood, and Hudson Fasching, who are set to bolster the team's lower lines. Columbus also brought in Ivan Fedotov from Philadelphia to support the goaltending duo of Merzlikins and Greaves. In their first preseason matchup, the Jackets defeated St. Louis 4-1. Neither Coyle, Monahan, nor Fantilli featured in Monday's lineup. Nonetheless, Columbus's second squad managed to handle St. Louis's second team. Goalie Ivan Fedotov conceded just one goal before giving way to young Evan Gardner in the third period.
Match Results: Columbus Blue Jackets
Buffalo Sabres Team Overview
The Blades had a disappointing last season, finishing just three points ahead of Boston and Philadelphia in the East, but falling a significant 12 points short of the playoff zone. In the offseason, the most notable change was parting ways with forward JJ Peterka, who moved to Utah. In return, New York welcomed forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring. To bolster their lower lines, the Blades added Columbus forward Justin Danforth and young Rangers defenseman Zac Jones. For the upcoming game against the Jackets, forwards Alex Tuch and Jordan Greenway, along with goaltender Luukkonen, will be absent. However, Tuch and Luukkonen are not facing any serious health issues and are expected to rejoin the training camp soon.
Match Results: Buffalo Sabres
🏒 Projected Lineups
Columbus: Greaves - Provorov, Severson - Aston-Reese, Fantilli, Marchenko
Buffalo: Georgiev - Power, Kesselring - Quinn, Kulich, Doan
🥅 Goalies
In the upcoming match, we expect to see the goaltending duo of Greaves-Merzlikins. The 24-year-old Greaves played 11 games last season, winning 7 of them and averaging 1.91 goals against per game. His counterpart, Merzlikins, played more games (53) but had a challenging season, suffering 21 losses with a goals-against average of 3.18.
Goaltender Alexander Georgiev is set to make his debut for the Sabres against the Blue Jackets. He signed a one-year contract with Buffalo in early September. Previously, Georgiev played for the Rangers, Colorado, and San Jose, where he delivered mixed performances. Backing up Alexander in the upcoming clash will be 23-year-old Devon Levi, who appeared in 9 games last season with a goals-against average of 4.12.
Editorial Prediction
In this test match, we’ll again see both teams fielding less than ideal lineups. The "Jackets" will be without Monahan, Voronkov, Jenner, Chinakhov, and Coyle, while the "Sabres" will miss key players like Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Rasmus Dahlin. Consider betting on Buffalo with a +1.5 spread. The "Sabres" have maintained this spread in six of their last seven preseason games. We anticipate that the fresher young talent from New York will provide the "Jackets" with solid resistance. Last year, the "Sabres" already outperformed their opponents with a similar lineup and Jet Greaves in goal.
Betting Tips: Columbus Blue Jackets - Buffalo Sabres
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