Jets snap losing streak with OT win over Sabres

The Winnipeg Jets ended a four-game losing streak in Buffalo with a 3-2 overtime win to move to 19-8 on the season.

Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves on 30 shots and Adam Lowry potted the game winner in overtime for his seventh of the season.

The game started off with the Jets giving up an uncharacteristic high-danger scoring chance to JJ Peterka, but Hellebuyck was there to make the quick glove save.

Vlad Namestnikov took the first penalty of the game just a little over two minutes into the game with a hooking penalty. The Jets were able to get the puck out early, but after some possession, veteran Jason Zucker found Tage Thompson from behind the net and the hulking forward ripped a shot from the top of the faceoff dot that beat Hellebuyck on the blocker side, post and in.

The Jets responded shortly after the Thompson goal. The top line for the Jets controlled the puck in the Sabres end, Mark Scheifele worked the puck to the blue line where Haydn Fleury ripped a shot that was tipped on a fly-by by Gabe Vilardi for his 10th of the year. The Sabres would challenge the call after Vilardi made some contact with Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s glove, but the contact was outside of the blue paint. The goal was confirmed and the Jets headed to the powerplay after the unsuccessful challenge.

The Jets powerplay started off with Scheifele sending a wrist shot towards goal but Luukkonen made a nice blocker save. The Jets continued to maintain possession and got a really good opportunity when Cole Perfetti found Kyle Connor for a one timer, but Connor just missed the net and the Sabres killed the rest of the penalty.

The Sabres got their second goal of the game after former Winnipeg Ice forward Zach Benson drove the net and sent a little saucer pass over to Dylan Cozens for his 6th of the season after he tipped it by Hellebuyck through the five-hole.

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Logan Stanley would drop the gloves the first shift after the goal with Dennis Gilbert where not many punches were thrown. Stanley would receive a 10-minute misconduct penalty after the tilt.

The Jets would get some momentum after the fight. The Jets top line put together a high-danger scoring chance, but Sabres forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel would hook Scheifele preventing him from getting a good shot off. The powerplay was unable to generate any notable scoring opportunities.

With just over three minutes left in the first, the Sabres benefitted off a Morrissey stumble and came down on a 3-on-1 but Hellebuyck made a nice save off the one-timer. The Jets would go down the ice where Sabres defenceman Bowen Byram kneed Vilardi and was given a two-minute tripping penalty. The Jets were once again unable to generate any serious scoring chances and dropped to 4 for 33 in their last 31 periods.

The first period ended with the Jets ahead on the shot clock 14-11, but the Sabres were up 2-1 on the scoreboard.

The second period action started with the Sabres taking two penalties on the same shift, giving the Jets a full 2-minute 5-on-3 powerplay. Scheifele whiffed on a one-timer chance set up by Connor, and Connor returned the favour with a missed one timer of his own but shortly after that Kyle Connor got that miss back after hammering a seam pass from Scheifele for his 14th of the year. The Jets only had 25 seconds worth of powerplay time left after the goal.

The 2nd period went on with not much action until there were 8 minutes left in the period. Fleury snuck in from the point and had Luukkonen beat, but he hit the post. Off that shot off the post, Vilardi found Connor in front for a chance, but it would not go.

The two teams traded shifts where they each would possess the puck in the other team’s zone, but nothing materialized for either team until the 2:24 mark of the second period. On a delayed penalty the Sabres generated some chaos in front off a point shot and Tyson Kozak, the Souris, Manitoba native potted his first NHL career goal in his first game… or so he thought. The Jets would challenge the play and it would be determined that enough contact was made to Hellebuyck’s skate on the net front drive that prevented him from making the save. The Sabres would go on the powerplay after the successful challenge due to the delayed penalty that was called prior to the goal. The Jets would kill the penalty and the period would end with the teams tied at two. .

In the third period, there weren’t too many scoring chances through the first 10 minutes with both teams sustaining pressure in the other’s defensive zone. Hellebuyck made two nice saves on Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram. The Sabres did come close, but Ryan Mcleod shot the puck through the crease while he stared at an empty net. The Sabres were outshooting the Jets 8-1 just after the halfway mark of the period.

With 7:09 left in the period, Namestnikov tried to pull off a successful pick, but the referee was all over it, giving Namestnikov a tripping penalty. The Jets would stand tall though, and kill the penalty without giving up very many chances.

The two teams would remain tied at the end of regulation sending this one into overtime. The Sabres outshot the Jets 7-3 in the period.

In overtime, the teams would trade rushes back and forth throughout the period. Hellebuyck made a great save on a 2-on-1 that rebounded out in the slot. Morrissey grabbed the loose puck and took it up the ice along with Adam Lowry. Lowry took the shot and was stopped but stock with it and the loose puck would make its way back to Lowry where he would close the game.

The Jets look to start a new winning streak when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. The pregame show will begin at 1 p.m. on 680 CJOB with puck drop just after 3 p.m.

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