COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Boone Jenner was the right man at the right place and right time for the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday night.

He scored the game-winning goal with 5:07 remaining in regulation to lift the Blue Jackets to a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

A faceoff in the Sabres' end led to the goal. The puck was loose and Cody Franson tried to corral it. However, Cam Atkinson reached out to knock it away from the Sabres defenseman. When he did, it went right to Jenner, who swept it past Robin Lehner for his second game-winning goal in the last three games.

Coach John Tortorella said the 23-year-old had been "snakebitten" recently around the net, but he had continued to play well. He had a couple shorthanded chances earlier in the game, and he delivered a couple key blocks on the defensive end, including one late to preserve the lead.

"If there's a guy that deserves a goal like that, a winning goal, it's that guy," Tortorella said.

Jenner's heroics were needed after Rasmus Ristolainen tied the game for Buffalo with 14:03 remaining in regulation. It was a loss that stung for Buffalo coach Dan Bylsma.

"We come back each time in the game, with a lot of good things from our guys," Bylsma said. "And five minutes to go there, we win a faceoff and somehow they get it all alone at the net with our goaltender."

With the win, the Blue Jackets, who went 2-for-3 on the power play, won their 43rd game of the season, tying the franchise high. Sergei Bobrovsky turned back 29 Sabres shots to earn his league-best 36th win of the season.

The Columbus goalie, who had posted shutouts in his last three games, had a chance to break Steve Mason's team record shutout streak (199:28 in the 2008-09 season), but that quest ended early.

Rookie center Evan Rodrigues beat Bobrovsky from the point just 2:50 into the contest after a turnover deep in the Columbus zone.

Coming into Friday, the Sabres had just three wins in their last 10 games. That prompted Bylsma to say earlier in the week that he wanted to see his players step it up. Rodrigues said his line came out on fire because of what their coach said.

"It was our first shift, and we just wanted to play hard and get in on the forecheck," he said. That led to the turnover, which set up his third goal in 16 games this year.

However, the Sabres didn't hold the lead for long.

David Savard netted the equalizer just 3:19 later. The defenseman's fourth goal of the season came from the right point after Brandon Dubinsky won a faceoff in the Sabres end. The puck went right to Savard, who found a clear lane and blasted it past Lehner.

The Blue Jackets took the lead nearly 11 minutes later on a power play goal by Nick Foligno. Alexander Wennberg got an assist on the play, and it was the 22-year-old's hustle seconds earlier that kept the puck in the zone, allowing for the Columbus captain to get his 23rd goal of the season.

Zach Werenski also got an assist on the play, giving him 40 points on the season and setting the record for most points by a Columbus rookie.

Josh Gorges got his first goal of the year with 15:04 left in the second period to tie the game. Assisted by Matt Moulson and Sam Reinhart, the 32-year-old defenseman beat Bobrovsky from the left point for just his 17th goal in a 13-year career

The Blue Jackets retook the lead with 1:32 left in the second on their second power play goal. Sam Gagner scored his third goal in four games, with Seth Jones and Jack Johnson getting the assists.

The Blue Jackets had scored only three times in their past 25 power-play opportunities entering Friday, but both Foligno and Tortorella said the special teams lines came up big Friday when the even-strength units were lacking.

"That's two big goals for our club to be able to get on the special teams," Foligno said. "Plus, our penalty kill was real good for us when it had to be. That's big when you're not feeling it maybe five-on-five to find a way."

Lehner made 35 saves.

These two teams will face each other again Saturday night in Buffalo.

NOTES: Buffalo scratched RW Kyle Okposo and D Dmitry Kulikov. Okposo missed his fourth game due to a rib injury, while Kulikov's upper-body injury forced him out for the third straight game. ... In the Sabres' last nine games, they've given up three or more goals eight times. They're 1-6-2 in those games. ... Columbus scratched RW Josh Anderson, D Scott Harrington and D Ryan Murray. ... The two power-play goals marked the first time in 20 games the Blue Jackets scored multiple times with the man advantage. They went 2-for-4 in a 7-6 win at Ottawa on Jan. 22.