Ostlund strikes twice as Sabres roll Blue Jackets 5-1 — but the win carries a cost
Buffalo's young forwards ran the show in the preseason home opener, while two defensemen left early and gave the night its asterisk.
Preseason scorelines evaporate quickly, but nights like this are what September hockey is for. The Sabres beat the Blue Jackets 5-1 at KeyBank Center on Tuesday in their first home exhibition of the fall, and the names driving it were exactly the ones Buffalo needs to emerge this season — with two worrying exits on the blue line as the counterweight.
The second-period burst
After a scoreless first, Buffalo broke through midway through the second, according to the Sabres' official recap. Josh Norris opened the scoring from Owen Power and Konsta Helenius, and Noah Ostlund then struck twice in a span of 28 seconds, with Zach Benson assisting on both. Just like that, a tight game was 3-0. Conor Timmins and Tage Thompson added third-period goals, and Owen Power finished with three assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 13 shots he faced through two periods before Colten Ellis took the third, allowing the only Columbus goal.
The exits that matter more
The result came with a bill. Mattias Samuelsson left with 9:40 remaining in the second after blocking a shot and is set for further evaluation Wednesday, per the club. Olen Zellweger exited late in the second after a hit from Carson Soucy and entered concussion protocol — a hit that carried into the third, where Beck Malenstyn dropped the gloves with Soucy to open the period.
Why it matters
The Buffalo News framed Ostlund's two-goal night as the headline, and it should be: Buffalo's path back to relevance runs through its 2021-23 draft classes turning into nightly contributors. But depth on defense is the thinner margin, and losing two defensemen in one exhibition is the kind of September detail that can shape an October lineup.