BUFFALO DOWNS BLUE JACKETS 2-3 IN PRE-SEASON OPENER

By DAVE SEAMAN, Columbus Wired

Forget that it was a preseason game or that half of Columbus’ top defense was not in the line-up.

On Sunday, Nationwide Arena hosted its first Blue Jackets game in a year and-a-half and 15,374 showed up to watch the home team fall 3-2 to visiting Buffalo.

“It was kind of a relief to see the support that we got out there,” Jackets winger Geoff Sanderson said. “It was like a regular offseason. It’s been 18 months and we’re appreciative that the fans came back tonight.”

Added Tyler Wright, “It’s been a long time coming, from the players, the fans and the arena workers —the whole nine yards. This is what we do as professional athletes. This is our passion.”

Columbus (0-1) dressed only eight veterans and the line-up featured 2005 first round draft pick Gilbert Brule, defenseman Francois Beauchemin and new back-up goaltender Martin Prusek.

Missing from the line-up were young stars Rick Nash, who is out with a high ankle sprain, and Nikolai Zherdev. Top defensemen Adam Foote, Luke Richardson and Brian Berard also sat out the opener.

The game was slowed by 22 penalties (11 each team) as both teams were playing under new rules that are supposed to increase scoring.

“I’ve been tracking other exhibition games and penalties have been in double-digits almost in every game,” Wright said.  “Power play and penalty killing is going to be a big part of the outcome of the game now. You have to adapt to the new rules because (the referees) are going to call it.”

Tim Connolly, Milan Bartovic and Michael Ryan scored for the Sabres, who converted one out-of-eight power play attempts.  Duvie Westcott and Greg Mauldin each scored for the Jackets, who were also one-for-eight with the man advantage.

Buffalo (2-0) took advantage of a series of Columbus penalties for its first goal. Connolly hit a slapshot from the top of the left faceoff circle that went over the shoulder of Prusek at 12:19. The Sabres made it 2-0 late in the first period on a third effort. Bartovic tapped in a third attempt after Prusek stopped Jeff Jillison and Maxim Afinogenov’s initial shots on goal seven seconds before the first intermission.

“It was a slow start for us,” Sanderson said. “Buffalo played (Saturday) night, so they came out hard. It took us a while to settle down. I think the second and third periods were much better.”

In the second, Ryan beat Jackets goaltender Andrew Penner, who had just replaced Prusek, with a shot from five feet in front of the crease. The puck tricked between Penner’s leg pads at 17:15.

Duvie Westcott broke up the shutout with a wrist shot from the right point at 8:43 of the third period. Greg Mauldrin cut the deficit to one goal when he tapped in a loose puck in front of a crowed crease on the power play at 15:06.

“We got back in the hockey game late,” Jackets coach Gerard Gallant said. “I think for the first game, we’re pretty happy with the way things went except for the 3-2 loss. I thought the guys played hard the second half of the game and we started to do some good things instead of turning the puck over. We had no scoring chances in the first half.

Prusek stopped 25 of 27 shots, while Penner gave up a goal on 16 shots for the Jackets. Miller has 35 saves for Buffalo, who outshot Columbus 43-37.

The Jackets host Pittsburgh Monday at 7 p.m.