Sabres pregame: Jiri Kulich, Devon Levi expected back in lineup in Columbus

Looking ahead to faceoff ...

Who: Sabres (1-3-1) vs.

Blue Jackets (1-2-0) When: 7:05 p.m., Eastern.

Where: Nationwide Arena Goaltenders: Devon Levi (1-1-0, 2.57/.919) vs.

Daniil Tarasov (1-0-0, 4.00/.867) TV: MSG COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jiri Kulich was a scratch Wednesday night in Pittsburgh but is almost certain to get back into the lineup tonight as the Sabres meet the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The question is for whom? Maybe we have a bit of an answer.

The Sabres did not have a morning skate today on a back-to-back but Blue Jackets reporter Mark Scheig of the HockeyWriters noticed a couple Buffalo players on the ice, ostensibly the team's scratches for tonight, after the Jackets had an optional skate.

And one of them was winger Jack Quinn, who has one assist and a minus-4 rating in five games and committed a tough turnover that led to Pittsburgh's tying goal in the second period on Wednesday.

Buffalo Sabres left winger Jiri Kulich (20) skates with the puck up the ice during the third period of Thursday's home game against Los Angeles.

The Sabres (1-3-1) were foiled in their bid for their first three-game winning streak over the Penguins since they won five straight from Oct.

10, 2005, to Nov.

17, 2006, a stretch that encompassed Sidney Crosby's rookie season.

Lindy Ruff is scheduled to brief reporters around 4:50 p.m., when we should get the final word.

Ruff has been high on the play of Kulich, who doesn't have a point in three games but was very active in the offensive zone in Saturday's win over Florida.

Devon Levi is expected to get the start in goal for Buffalo, while Columbus is without starter Elvis Merzlikins (upper body) so Daniil Tarasov gets the call tonight.

Tarasov was the winner in Columbus' infamous 9-4 win over Buffalo in KeyBank Center last December, the night Sabres' fans taunted then-coach Don Granato with chants of "Fi-re Don-ny." The Blue Jackets are coming off Tuesday's emotional 4-3 loss to Florida in the first regular season home game since the August death of star Johnny Gaudreau.

His No.

13 was raised to the rafters in a pregame tribute to the life of longtime NHL All-Star and his brother, Matthew.

Tonight's game is being billed as Columbus' traditional home opener, with an outdoor plaza party and team's carpet walk into the arena.

Sabres potential lineup Peterka-Thompson-Tuch Benson-Cozens-Kulich Greenway-McLeod-Zucker Malenstyn-Krebs-Lafferty --- Dahlin-Jokiharju Byram-Power Samuelsson-Clifton This is a developing story.

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