COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson had the best pass and the biggest hit in Friday’s game vs. the Buffalo Sabres. But to describe how those two instances played out is to explain how this season has gone for the Jackets.

The Sabres won 2-1 before 18,943 in Nationwide Arena, a game that was less a defensive struggle and more about decent goaltending and failed offensive chances on both ends of the ice. But it was Severson — through no fault of his own — who was the central character.

Late in the second period, with the score tied 1-1, Severson happened upon a puck in the neutral zone when he emerged from the penalty box. Yegor Chinakhov, sensing the situation, took off with speed through the neutral zone Severson sprung him with a perfect pass.

It looked like Chinakhov scored the goal that would have put the Jackets up 2-1, but replays showed the puck clanging off the left post behind Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. That was their last, best scoring chance of the night.

UPL save on Chinakhov #LetsGoBuffalo #CBJ pic.twitter.com/JE0WqTwWal

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) February 24, 2024

In the third period, once again in the neutral zone, Severson spun around after playing the puck and ended up on the same railroad tracks as teammate Jack Roslovic, slamming into Roslovic and sending him to the ice while his stick soared through the air.

The best pass didn’t lead to a goal. The biggest hit was against someone wearing the same sweater. And the 2023-24 season rolls on.

Dmitry Voronkov scored the only goal for the Blue Jackets off a great sequence of passing with Ivan Provorov and Kirill Marchenko. The Blue Jackets had several other chances off the rush, where they do most of their offensive damage, but couldn’t execute on them.

“We had our chances,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “That’s a fast-skating team. Their transition … they’re all offense. As soon as they touch the puck, they have two or three guys going.

“The legs were there. The execution wasn’t. That’s the mental part of it. Our breakouts were sloppy. That’s probably a by-product of the road trip.”

The Jackets returned Thursday from California, so Friday was an adjustment. But what maligned them vs. Buffalo has been an issue all season.

It can be said that the Blue Jackets, though blessed with some gifted young offensive players, haven’t mastered the art of the odd-man advantage. The puck rarely ends up in the right place, though it’s worth noting that the players without the puck on the rush do not always space themselves properly to create options.

Roslovic flubbed the puck off his stick on a four-on-two rush that fizzled in the first period, sending the Sabres the other way with numbers. They didn’t score on that rush, but seconds later they tied the score 1-1 on a Zemgus Girgensons goal.

It wasn’t just Roslovic, though. The sure-handed defenseman Zach Werenski had an odd-man rush wither on his stick, and so did Chinakhov.

The Blue Jackets gave Daniil Tarasov his second consecutive start after he survived a wild and woolly 7-4 win over Anaheim on Wednesday in Honda Center. Tarasov was very good. He faced two odd-man rushes in the first three minutes of the game and finished with 35 saves, 28 of them in the first periods.

DIRTY #LetsGoBuffalo | @connorcliff28 pic.twitter.com/0ji3qTASeG

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 24, 2024

The Sabres took a 2-1 lead early in the third just a few seconds after Tarasov made a brilliant right pad save. The easier shot — a 61-foot wrist shot by Connor Clifton — sailed clear through traffic, caromed off Tarasov’s arm or shoulder and flopped over him into the net.

It was Clifton’s first goal of the season, his first goal with the Sabres, and his first goal in 71 games, dating to last March.

Vincent had plenty of compliments for Tarasov, who is trying to find his footing after missing most of last season to injury and playing in a backup role behind Elvis Merzlikins.

But he didn’t like Kent Johnson’s play on the 2-1 goal, clearly.

“On the goal-against, he has to block that shot,” Vincent said. “These are the things we have to learn.”

Down 2-1, Vincent made the decision to pull Tarasov with 3:30 remaining. That’s probably two minutes earlier than most coaches would turn to an extra skater, but Vincent had his reasons.

“If I feel we have a good chance to win those faceoffs, I will pull early,” Vincent said. “And the stats are suggesting that earlier is better than later.”

The Blue Jackets won 4 of 6 faceoffs the rest of the way. Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner, who led all forwards with 21:43 in ice time, had four of those wins (on five draws). That part of the plan worked.

They generated four shots on goal the rest of the way, only one shot from within 30 feet. Voronkov’s shot from 10 feet with 3:23 to play was denied by Luukkonen.

The Blue Jackets came back from California having won two of three games and feeling pretty good. But this club has trouble generating traction.

The last time the Jackets won consecutive games was Nov. 24, a span of 35 games. They haven’t lost more than three in a row in that span, either, but the sputtering is getting exhausting.

“That’s what we’re working on,” Vincent said.

One other ugly number: the Blue Jackets are 2-7-2 when Nationwide Arena is sold out.

(Photo: Russell LaBounty / USA Today)