Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) - Michal Neuvirth made 45 saves and the Buffalo Sabres edged the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-2, on Tuesday.
Zemgus Girgensons recorded a goal and an assist for Buffalo before hurting himself on a blocked shot. Cody Hodgson, Mark Pysyk and Chris Stewart also lit the lamp for the Sabres, who had lost six of seven coming in.
Columbus goals by Kevin Connauton and Matt Calvert went for naught as Anton Forsberg remained winless in four career starts between the pipes. The 22- year-old rookie from Sweden allowed all four goals on 31 shots.
The first goal he allowed was relatively soft, as a Hodgson shot trickled through his pads at the 9:30 mark of the opening period.
He was overly aggressive five minutes later, as he came out of his crease and tried to poke-check a loose puck away from Girgensons, who stick-handled around him en route to his third short-handed goal of the season.
"The first two goals took some of the wind out of our sails," Blue Jackets head coach Todd Richards said.
Brandon Dubinsky's no-look pass from behind the net led to Calvert's goal 1:18 into the second, but Pysyk beat Forsberg with a wrister 42 seconds later.
After Stewart's power-play goal off a Girgensons faceoff win made it 4-1, Connauton found the right corner off a blocked shot to pull Columbus within two heading into the third.
Neuvirth upheld the lead with 18 saves over the final 20 minutes.
"Always focusing on the next shot. Always in my head, playing the game like it's 0-0," Neuvirth said of his mindset.
Game Notes
The Blue Jackets have lost three in a row overall ... The Sabres are 3-0-1 in their last four road games ... Columbus went 0-for-4 on the power play.
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