BUFFALO — The Blue Jackets ' hearts were in it, but their legs checked out just a little too early Saturday night at KeyBank Center.
Coming off an exhilarating 6-5 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs 22 hours earlier in Columbus , the Jackets ran out of gas in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres .
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Jeff Skinner ended it at 1:20 of OT with a one-timer from the slot that beat Blue Jackets goalie Daniil Tarasov , whose 38-save performance was the main reason his team left with a point from the game and three out of four in a tough back-to-back set.
"It was a really tough game," Tarasov said. "It was a big comeback, OT win (Friday). Today, they were probably pretty tired. My goal was to help the guys and get the win."
He stole a point instead for the Blue Jackets (12-18-8), which was an important payoff for a young team dealing with multiple injuries to key veterans like captain Boone Jenner and alternate captains Zach Werenski and Sean Kuraly .
"It's huge," coach Pascal Vincent said. "I thought in the third we were under fire. We could see our legs going down midway through the second. It was more of a struggle. And when the body is tired, then the brain doesn't make as good of decisions. But getting a point tonight in a back-to-back like we did, (after) a very emotional game last night, I think we're finishing (2023) on a good note."
Damon Severson gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead late in the first and rookie Adam Fantilli scored his second goal in as many days for a 2-1 lead in the second ― extending his point streak to a career-high four games on his 11th goal of the season.
Here are three takeaways:
Tarasov missed training camp, the entire preseason and first two months of the season after injuring a knee in summer conditioning skates.
Missing that much time was a challenge to his timing, puck tracking and overall rhythm in net once he was healthy enough to finally return. Tarasov, who's a towering 6-foot-5, allowed 13 goals on 88 shots through his first three NHL games this season, going 1-2-0 with an .852 save percentage.
Against the Sabres, he looked like the high-end goaltending prospect he's been for the Blue Jackets, who drafted Tarasov in the third round of the 2017 NHL draft. Using his large frame and impressive athleticism, he stopped all 13 shots he faced in the first period before going 14 for 15 in the second and 10 for 11 in the third. Skinner's blast in OT was Buffalo's second shot of that frame to end Tarasov's day without a win.
"It's the fourth game, so I felt more comfortable," Tarasov said. "It was a busy game. There were a lot of shots, but it's good for a goalie. Every second of the game, you're really focused for every moment."
Vincent was impressed.
"We've seen the potential," he said. "We see it in practices. At times, it looks too easy for him. We've seen it in the past. He's calm in the net. He's big. Every game he plays, he gets better. So, the potential is there for sure."
Tarasov got the start over Spencer Martin , who handled the backup duties while Elvis Merzlikins (illness) stayed back in Columbus after leaving his start Friday early.
Tarasov made a lot of key saves to keep the Jackets ahead or tied, but his acrobatic number on Skinner in the third period was a jaw dropper.
Following a Blue Jackets turnover attempting to exit their own zone, the Sabres were gifted a 3-on-1 situation in the third period. Tage Thompson skated down the slot, put the puck on Skinner's stick to the outside of the left post and Tarasov took it from there. Sliding to his right, the athletic backstop pulled off an impressive two-pad stack save to deny Skinner a goal.
You don't see many of those anymore, but seeing such a large human flawlessly pull it off was breathtaking. Tarasov credited Blue Jackets goaltending coach Niklas Backstrom , a former NHL goalie, for teaching him that maneuver.
"I was just trying to do, like, kind of the 'old school' from 'Backer,'" Tarasov said. "He's been trying to teach us some of his things in practice, so it was good. I just was happy to save that puck."
The Blue Jackets placed Zach Werenski (ankle) on injured reserve Saturday and recalled defenseman Jake Christiansen from the Cleveland Monsters. Christiansen is having another impressive season in the American Hockey League, helping the Monsters stay atop the North division, but now there's a chance to stick in the NHL for a while.
The Blue Jackets are missing three regular defensemen for what might still be multiple weeks, so Christiansen and his left-handed shot may come in handy. The Jackets currently have four righties on the NHL roster, which meant that losing Werenski, also a lefty, forced one of those righties to play on his "off" side against Toronto.
Assistant coach Steve McCarthy, who coordinates the defense pairings, alternated the combinations to share the burden. Against the Sabres, they stayed the same while Christiansen replaced right-shooting Andrew Peeke , a healthy scratch.
Christiansen, who logged 21:07 as veteran Erik Gudbranson 's partner, brought balance to the Jackets' pairings simply by giving them a third lefty during his NHL season debut.
"I just believe it puts everyone in the position to succeed," Vincent said. "I've never played that position, but the people that I spoke to (said) it's hard because the game is different (playing on the off side) ... the way you pivot, the way you defend, the way you attack. It's doable, but it takes some time. So, I'd rather have three righties and three lefties."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tarasov gets Blue Jackets a point in OT Sabres: 3 takeaways
