Blue Jackets 3, Sabres 1: Cam Atkinson scored the go-ahead goal on the power play and Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves as visiting Columbus edged Buffalo in the season opener for both clubs.

Jack Skille and Artem Anisimov also tallied while Jared Boll, Michael Chaput, Ryan Johansen, Nick Foligno, Scott Hartnell and Alexander Wennberg each picked up their first assists for the Blue Jackets, who outshot the Sabres 40-22. Bobrovsky made eight of his saves in the third period and Columbus was successful during its only short-handed situation.

Zemgus Girgensons recorded the lone goal for Buffalo, which is trying to bounce back after posting an NHL-low 52 points last season. Jhonas Enroth made a series of tough saves over the first two periods to keep the Sabres in the contest and ended up with 37 saves.

Enroth was a wall until 6:39 remained in the second period, when Skille led a rush up the right wing and sent a wrist shot from the faceoff circle over the goaltender’s shoulder. The lead stood for only 81 seconds as Girgensons broke through a pair of defenders at the blue line and pushed a shot between Bobrovsky’s pads to knot it at 1-1.

Atkinson snapped the deadlock while on the power play with 7:15 left in the third period, creeping in from the corner and finding an open space in the slot before sending a wrist shot past Enroth’s left side. Anisimov provided some breathing room with 2:26 to play, when he blasted a shot from the high slot past the screened netminder.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Girgensons scored the first goal for the Sabres last season as well, on his first career shot. … Buffalo C Sam Reinhart, 18, made his NHL debut and did not register a shot on goal while winning only 4-of-15 faceoffs. … Columbus went 1-for-4 on the power play.