COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Right winger Cam Atkinson scored off a long rebound midway through the third period to break a tie and help the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday in Nationwide Arena.

Atkinson's goal, at 10:35 of the third, and an empty-net goal by center Boone Jenner in the final minute, extended the Blue Jackets' point streak to a franchise-record-tying 12 games (11-0-1).

The Blue Jackets have not lost in regulation since March 15.

The Sabres have done a lot of losing this season, but the reward is finally coming into focus.

The loss secures 30th and last place in the overall NHL standings for the Sabres, meaning they will have either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick -- their pick of potential superstar forwards Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel -- at the NHL draft this June in Sunrise, Fla.

When Atkinson scored, Blue Jackets fans and Sabres fans alike jumped from their chairs to celebrate.

Left winger Nick Foligno and left winger Matt Calvert also scored for the Blue Jackets, while defenseman David Savard had two assists.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 20 saves for his 30th win on the season.

The Sabres got goals from center Mikhail Grigorenko and right winger Brian Gionta, while goaltender Anders Lindback had 32 saves.

The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead only 14 seconds into the game, the earliest in a game they scored all season.

Foligno entered the attack zone with plenty of speed, and he ripped a one-timer off a feed from center Brandon Dubinsky that beat Lindback.

The Sabres answered, however, barely two minutes later.

Grigorenko's slap shot off the rush -- Gionta set him up with a nifty drop pass -- made it 1-1 at 2:25.

The Blue Jackets took a 2-1 lead at 9:35 of the second when Calvert buried a wrister from the left circle.

It marked the fourth straight game in which the Jackets' fourth line scored.

The Sabres pulled even again, this time on the power play with 59 seconds remaining in the second when Gionta scored.

The game drifted into the third tied at 2-2, but Atkinson settled matters with an east put-back.

Lindback made the initial save on a slap shot by defenseman Dalton Prout, but the puck kicked off his left pad and shot right to Atkinson.

Jenner capped the scoring when he followed Calvert's long-range miss with an easy shot.

NOTES: Blue Jackets D Fedor Tyutin returned to the lineup after missing two games with a cut atop his left foot, suffered during a game vs. Pittsburgh on April 4. ... Another nasty cut: As the Blue Jackets were rushing off the bench to celebrate a 5-0 win over Toronto on Wednesday, rookie RW Alexander Wennberg's right skate slit the left wrist of RW Cam Atkinson, a cut that took 10 stitches to close. ... The Sabres recalled D Chad Ruhwadel from minor league Rochester after D Andre Benoit (upper body) was injured.