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Blue Jackets down Sabres

Oct 11, 2013 - 5:24 AM Buffalo, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Marian Gaborik notched a goal and two assists, as the Columbus Blue Jackets downed the Buffalo Sabres, 4-1, on Thursday at First Niagara Center.

Cam Atkinson scored once and added an assist, while Brandon Dubinksy and Nick Foligno registered a goal apiece for the Blue Jackets, who have won two straight since opening the season with a 4-3 loss to Calgary.

"It was a bit of a run-and-gun game," said Dubinsky. "It's really not the way we want to play, but I thought we were able to our style later in the second period and the third."

Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26-of-27 shots in the triumph.

Thomas Vanek tallied the lone Buffalo marker, while Ryan Miller, who missed Tuesday's tilt with a groin injury, allowed all four goals on 33 shots for the winless the Sabres, who have dropped five straight.

Buffalo hasn't gone this far into a season without a win since opening the 1999-2000 season with five losses and two ties.

"We have guys in this room who can make plays," Miller said. "We have to get past this hump."

Vanek's slick tip-in tally at the 8:50 mark of the first period tied the game, but the Blue Jackets potted a pair of goals in a 2:13 span late in the frame to seize control.

Foligno started the surge at the 16:35 mark, with his backhand pass from the low left side deflecting off a pair of Sabres defenders in front before sneaking past Miller to give Columbus a 2-1 edge.

Just over two minutes later, Atkinson and Gaborik skated in on a 2-on-1 rush, with Atkinson carrying the puck down the left wing and waiting for a Buffalo defender to drop before setting up Gaborik's one-timer from the low right side that made it 3-1 with 1:12 left in the period.

Dubinsky padded the lead early in the second, pounding in a long rebound from the slot off a David Savard point blast to push the margin to 4-1 just 2:11 into the stanza.

Bobrovsky made the lead stand from there, turning away all 16 shots he faced over the final 40 minutes to keep Columbus in front.

The Blue Jackets opened the scoring just under two minutes in, as Gaborik flipped a wrister from the high slot that hit the post, but Atkinson was there on the low left side to tap in the rebound for a 1-0 lead at the 1:51 mark.

The Sabres answered just under eight minutes later, as Steve Ott recovered a pass in the low left corner and slid a no-look feed to the front of the net for Vanek, who made a nifty play to tip the puck in with his stick between his legs, tying the game with 11:10 left in the first period.

Game Notes

Columbus defenseman Ryan Murray assisted on Gaborik's goal for his first career point ... Foligno's younger brother, Marcus, plays left wing for the Sabres and finished with one shot in 14:56 of ice time ... Vanek notched his 252nd career goal to tie Craig Ramsey for fifth on Buffalo's all-time list ... Columbus finished 0-for-4 on the power play, while Buffalo failed on its only opportunity with the man advantage.