Despite holding a clear advantage in shot attempts and shots on goal, the Jets fell 5-3 to the Buffalo Sabres at the downtown arena.
“We generated triple the scoring chances,” head coach Scott Arniel said. “Their goalie was outstanding. He played a great game.”
The Jets dominated the stat sheet, finishing with a 71-32 advantage in shot attempts and a 36-17 edge in shots on goal. However, they fell to 4-6-0 in games decided by two goals, while the Sabres improved to 7-12-0 in those situations.
He secured his third win of the season, turning aside 33 shots and earning first-star honors for his stellar performance, helping Buffalo snap a two-game road skid.
“We definitely had our looks,” said Colin Miller. “Their goalie stood tall, and they did a solid job blocking up the neutral zone and defending their end. It was just one of those nights where we couldn’t capitalize. Credit to them, but we’ll review it and move forward.”
Miller netted his third goal of the season at 7:41 of the third period, cutting the Sabres’ lead to 3-2 at that point.
Eric Comrie took the loss, his ninth of the season, after allowing four goals on 16 shots. The Jets saw their two-game home winning streak come to an end, dropping to 25-6-4 at home and 48-19-4 overall.
“We created plenty of opportunities, maybe hit a few posts where we’d like to see the puck go in, and their goalie came up with some big stops,” said Jets winger Brandon Tanev. “It was one of those games where it came down to capitalizing on chances.”
If there was one area for improvement amid the Jets’ steady offensive pressure, Tanev pointed to making life harder for Reimer.
“I think we could have done a better job taking away his vision, getting bodies to the crease, and creating more chaos in front of him,” Tanev said.
Logan Stanley returned to the lineup, pairing with Colin Miller on the third defensive unit. The towering blueliner logged 14:29 of ice time and notched two assists in the third period.
“It’s tough because we have a lot of depth on defense, but everyone is capable of stepping in,” Miller said. “We’ll need everyone down the stretch, and Stanley was solid tonight.”
Stanley last played on March 9 in a 4-2 loss to Carolina, missing five straight games. With Luke Schenn now added to the defensive corps, ice time is at a premium for those outside the top-four rotation.
“I don’t want these guys sitting too long,” said coach Arniel. “I thought Stanley had a strong game.”
Nino Niederreiter also found the scoresheet, tying the game 1-1 with a goal at 2:05 of the second period—his 15th of the season and his first in 15 games, dating back to February 4 against Carolina. Niederreiter, who was named the game’s third star, left briefly after a hard collision with the boards in the first period but cleared concussion protocol and returned.
“Nino got checked out and was fine to continue,” Arniel confirmed.
For Buffalo, Alex Tuch, JJ Peterka, Rasmus Dahlin, Tyson Kozak, and Ryan McLeod all found the back of the net. The Sabres improved to 11-21-3 on the road and snapped an 0-7-0 record in the second half of back-to-backs, having lost 4-1 to the Minnesota Wild the night before.
Souris native Tyson Kozak tallied his second career NHL goal in the third period, sealing the win with an empty-netter at 7:13. The hometown crowd erupted as the young forward swept the puck into the open cage.
“I’d say there are probably about 150 people here for me,” Kozak said. “It’s pretty special having them all come out. A couple of minor hockey teams from back home made the trip, so it’s awesome. I hadn’t played in this building before, so it was a lot of fun.”
Both teams finished 1-for-3 on the power play.
The Jets will now turn their attention to a key matchup against the Washington Capitals (47-15-8) on Tuesday night.
With the Capitals sitting atop the NHL standings, Winnipeg has a shot to pull even with them. Adding to the excitement, Alexander Ovechkin will make his lone visit to town this regular season, sitting just six goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.