What Happened
Matthew Knies scored twice and added an assist in his first game with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-3 on Thursday night. The win was Columbus' first in a season opener in five years. Cole Sillinger, Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathieu Olivier also scored, while Charlie Coyle had three assists. Knies was acquired from Toronto on Monday.
Key Details
- Knies became the first Columbus player to score twice in his Blue Jackets debut.
- His three points tied Artemi Panarin's franchise debut record of three assists in 2017.
- Jet Greaves stopped 23 shots for Columbus; Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 16 for Buffalo.
- Zach Werenski had two assists; Charlie Coyle added three.
- Mattias Samuelsson, Jack Quinn and Konsta Helenius scored for Buffalo.
- Noah Ostlund and Owen Power each had two assists for the Sabres.
What It Means
Knies' immediate production gives Columbus a top-six forward who can contribute on the power play, and his debut ties a franchise mark. The Blue Jackets ended a five-year streak without a season-opening win, while Buffalo opened with a loss despite two assists from Owen Power and a goal from Samuelsson in his return from a pre-season lower-body injury.