4 takeaways from Blue Jackets' 2-1 loss to Buffalo

A two-game winning streak hardly bears mentioning for most NHL teams.

For the Blue Jackets, it's been a monumental hurdle since before Thanksgiving.

Eleven consecutive times since Columbus won on November 22 and 24 heading into Friday night's game against Buffalo, the Jackets had followed a victory with a loss.

Make it 12 in a row. A standing-room-only crowd of 18,943 at Nationwide Arena saw the Blue Jackets lose to the Sabres 2-1. It was only the Jackets' second home game in 11 games.

"You've got to try to find a groove and keep rolling every single game," left wing Johnny Gaudreau said, "and once you feel comfortable and confident and you're playing well as a team, you've got to do it again the next night and the next night. Obviously, we're not there yet."

Buffalo defenseman Connor Clifton had the game-winner barely three minutes into the third period with his first goal of the season and first in 71 games overall. His routine shot from the blue line deflected off goalie Daniil Tarasov's left arm and dropped into the net.

The Blue Jackets opened the scoring eight minutes into the game on a power-play goal. Defenseman Ivan Provorov made a nice pass to Kirill Marchenko, who made a deft touch pass to Dmitri Voronkov, who beat Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Three minutes later, Blue Jackets right wing Jack Roslovic had the puck on a 4-on-2 but flubbed a pass/shot. Buffalo turned that into an odd-man rush and eventually scored after maintaining possession on a goal by Zemgus Girgensons past Tarasov.

The Blue Jackets almost took a 2-1 lead late in the period. Defenseman Damon Severson made a beautiful pass in traffic to Yegor Chinakhov, whose shot appeared to beat Luukkonen into the top of the net off the crossbar. But replays showed the puck didn't cross the goal line.

The Blue Jackets pulled Tarasov for the final 3½ minutes but couldn't tie the game.

Road weary?

The Blue Jackets just completed a four-game trip west that followed a five-game western swing. Only one home game came in between the trips.

“It was a long trip and going from the West Coast to the east is not so easy,” goalie Daniil Tarasov said. “It was kind of tough for the first 10 minutes probably. But then we moved our legs really well.”

They needed to because Buffalo has plenty of speed.

“They're all offense, and soon as they touch the puck, they have two or three guys going,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “We made some adjustments after the first period on our forecheck in the offensive zone and neutral zone. The legs were there. The execution wasn't. That's the mental part of it. Our breakouts were sloppy, and that's probably a byproduct of the road trip.”

Strong play little consolation for Tarasov

The Blue Jackets had to rely on Tarasov to stay in the game, and he was up to the challenge. The Sabres' first goal came after the Jackets were scrambling in their own zone. Girgensons' goal came from a sharp angle that Tarasov didn't see well.

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In the first two periods, Tarasov stopped 28 of 29 shots. Vincent said the game-winner by Clifton early in the third period should have been blocked by wing Kent Johnson.

“He was outstanding,” Vincent said of Tarasov. “That's two games in a row.”

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Tarasov made saves on 27 of 29 shots in Wednesday's win at Anaheim.

But he took little satisfaction from another strong performance Friday.

“It is frustrating,” Tarasov said. “It doesn't matter how you play. The main thing is the result.”

Nylander gets his chance with CBJ

The Blue Jackets become Alexander Nylander's fourth NHL team since he was drafted with the eighth overall pick of the 2016 draft by the Sabres.

Columbus acquired him from Pittsburgh for winger Emil Bemstrom and a sixth-round draft pick, which will turn into a third-rounder if Bemstrom scores six goals for the Penguins.

Nylander was playing for Scranton in the American Hockey League and arrived in Columbus Friday afternoon. He did not play against Buffalo.

“We're not sure exactly what's going to happen, but he certainly is going to get a chance to prove himself,” Vincent said. “He's a big man. He's got skills.

“I think it was a win-win for both sides. You're not trading for a fully established player, but two players that could establish themselves.”

Bemstrom was given plenty of chances to prove himself with the Blue Jackets but never found consistency.

“A real nice young man,” Vincent said. “Can shoot the puck. Works hard. He forced us to keep him at training camp. He was really good.

“But we have young players pushing. He's been here for five years now, and we felt that was time. It was time for maybe for a guy like him. He gets a fresh start, and maybe that's what he needs for his career.”

Gaudreau becomes a dad again

Gaudreau became a father for the second time, and his team moved up their flight back from the West Coast to help him get back in time for it.

Johnny Edward Gaudreau was born in Columbus on Thursday evening. He is Johnny and Meredith Gaudreau's second child, joining sister Noah.

Gaudreau said he got only a few hours of sleep on Thursday night.

"It was a long night last night, but it's awesome," he said. "I'm hanging out with my son a lot. It's a special time."

The Blue Jackets' plane was scheduled to leave California late Thursday morning. Gaudreau was booked on a 6 a.m. commercial flight.

Vincent said team captain Boone Jenner decided the team should leave earlier so Gaudreau could fly with his teammates.

"We were playing cards on the plane (from San Jose to Los Angeles) and Boonezy and (Erik Gudbranson) thought it was dumb for me to take a commercial (flight home)," Gaudreau said. "One delay or cancellation and I'm probably not making it back (in time).

"It made them get up super early and fly back just for me so a lot of thanks a lot all the guys on the team. The coaching staff. The trainers. They had to get up extra early and load the plane up. That's why I didn't want to ask. A lot goes into it. But I'm very grateful."

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 4 takeaways from Blue Jackets' 2-1 loss to Buffalo