In Buffalo Thursday night, the Sabres’ Linus Ullmark was the beneficiary of a reasonable offensive effort in a 3-1 win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets, he made 44 saves to get the win.
It was Ullmark’s debut this season with the Sabres after being called up from Rochester in the AHL earlier this week.
“It’s been my dream ever since last summer to get it all together and come up and play,” Ullmark said. “I’m very humble and happy about the win tonight.”
Benoit Pouliot scored game’s first goal in 3-1 win over Columbus Thursday night – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
Benoit Pouliot who has not had a great year in Buffalo scored the first goal of the game.
“I was kind of off the past few games and that’s why I sat a couple games,” Pouliot said. “Tonight I was trying to do as much as I could in front of the net. [Jack Eichel] and [Okposo] are so good with the puck in the corners and getting off checks and stuff for me just to go in front and get the chances.”
Kyle Okposo scored and Jack Eichel added an empty net goal late.
“That’s a little gift from the hockey gods tonight for me and for the team,” Okposo said. “It was a nice bounce to get. I felt like just trying to work, and when you work you seem to get those bounces. And there’s times when you’re not going to get them so you’ve got to take them when they’re there and try to keep working to create your own luck.”
Artemi Panarin scored the only goal against Ullmark.
“He’s (Ullmark) very calm, he doesn’t overplay things, he’s pretty tight and he’s pretty square to the puck, and he makes that first save and he fought through some traffic to make the second save,” Sabres head coach Phil Housley said. “He stepped up, he was on his angle and he was challenging, and you could see the confidence in his game.”
The Sabres improved to 11-24-9.
[WATCH:Â All Blue Jackets vs. Sabres highlights]
Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves in taking the loss.
“They have one or two chances the second and third period. We have the puck most of the time, but it’s just not enough rebounds. We hit a couple of posts, a crossbar, but we’re not in the inside enough. Their goalie played very well. I think for us to beat him, a big, athletic goalie like that, we need to get some rebounds,” Jackets head coach John Tortorella said after the loss.
Columbus dropped to 25-17-3 whit the loss.
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