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 But it was his willingness to scrap late in the third period of a
4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets that opened eyes on Friday in
Nationwide Arena.
Lehner jumped into a scrum midway through the third period and tried
to fight Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson after Sabres
defenseman Zach Bogosian was thrust into the boards on a hooking
penalty by Blue Jackets left winger Boone Jenner.
"It's disgusting," Lehner said. "It's disgusting to see a teammate
go down like that. I just didn't want (Johnson) to jump into the
pile. He didn't want to (fight) or anything."
Sabres left winger Jamie McGinn had his first two-goal game of the
season, while center David Legwand and center Sam Reinhart also
scored. Rookie Jack Eichel had two assists.
Still, Lehner was the buzz of the Sabres' dressing room after the
game. His last shutout was Jan. 14, 2014 -- 53 starts ago -- when he
played for the Ottawa Senators.
"(Lehner) is an engaged goalie," Buffalo coach Dan Bylsma said.
"Maybe the most engaged goalie I've ever been able to coach. He was
on his game, he was strong.
"Even in the third period, when we needed a bump in how we were
playing, he was the guy coming over to the bench to provide that."
When asked about Lehner's willingness to scrap -- he was given minor
penalties for roughing and leaving the crease -- Bylsma cracked:
"I've never had a goalie get four penalty minutes and a shutout in
one game."
It was a rough night for the Blue Jackets, who had their
season-long, six-game point streak snapped. They were shutout for
the third time this season.
Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo finished with 27 saves, but
he let in one goal that will not soon be forgotten.
Legwand's goal, his fifth of the season, brought a groan from weary
Blue Jackets fans.
From his own zone as the Sabres were killing a penalty, Legwand
gathered the puck inside a faceoff circle and sent it sailing down
the middle of the ice before Buffalo's penalty-killers headed to the
bench to change.
The puck took one bounce about five feet in front of Korpisalo, shot
slightly to the right and sailed into the net as Korpisalo froze.
The NHL's official play by play charted it as a 149-foot goal.
"Four goals in three periods ... that's too much," Korpisalo said.
"And of course the second goal ... weird bounce, but that should
never go in.
"I tried to get as close as possible to the puck, but you did see
what happened. I didn't succeed."
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The Blue Jackets had several "grade A" chances, but Lehner would
cede no ground.
In the first period, he went post-to-post to rob Blue Jackets' right
winger Cam Atkinson from the doorstep, and early in the third he did
the same to stone Blue Jackets rookie left winger Kerby Rychel.
Asked if he could recall a better performance by an opposing
goaltender this season, Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella didn't
pause.
"I can't remember one," Tortorella said. "My memory is not that
good, but I don't remember one. You could see in the first period
that it was one of those games. As the game went on, he was big. He
looked big in the net."
The Sabres lost two defensemen to injury during the game.
At 16:55 of the second, Blue Jackets left wing Scott Hartnell was
given a five-minute boarding major for hitting Sabres defenseman
Cody Franson from behind.
"He appeared to be a bit woozy," Bylsma said.
Sabres defenseman Zach Bogosian was hooked into the wall by Blue
Jackets center Boone Jenner at 11:30 of the third, sparking the
scrum that Lehner jumped into.
Bogosian was getting stitched after the game, Bylsma said, but he
didn't have a further update.
NOTES: Buffalo LW Evander Kane returned to the lineup after a
one-game, club-imposed suspension for missing a recent practice.
Kane overslept on Monday, the morning after attending the NBA
All-Star Game in Toronto, and he missed Tuesday's 2-1 overtime loss
to Ottawa. ... Blue Jackets G Joonas Korpisalo made his 11th
consecutive start, the longest string by a Columbus netminder this
season. ... Sabres C Ryan O'Reilly and C Zemgus Girgensons missed
Thursday's practice with an illness, but were in the lineup.
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