The slump is finally over.
The Winnipeg Jets ended a four-game losing streak in Buffalo with a 3-2 overtime win against the Sabres to move to 19-8 on the season.
Adam Lowry potted the game winner in overtime, while Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves to end their slide.
The Jets tied up the game in the second period, were outplayed for a lot in the third, but Lowry ended the slump with just 61 seconds left in the extra frame.
“I think we can be really happy with that win,” said Lowry. “You don’t love the start. You give up a goal early, a special teams goal, but the way we battled back and the way we stuck with it. I know we were down 2-1 after the first, but I thought our response after a real lackluster St. Louis game was pretty good.
“Been tough sledding for the last week or so picking up wins, so, it’s nice to find a way to win and hopefully we can keep that good feeling going into Chicago now.”
The Jets are unbeaten in overtime this season, winning all four games that went to the extra period.
Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor also scored for Winnipeg as Connor ended a six-game goal scoring drought.
The Sabres recorded seven of the first eight shots in the third stanza, but the Jets managed to get it to overtime where they pulled out the victory.
“We just stuck with it,” said Vilardi. “We didn’t open up the game. When they did have chances we got Bucky (Hellebuyck). I thought we had some good chances too. It was one of our better games as of late, just sticking to the structure and playing the right way.”
With a 31-30 edge in shots, the Jets outshot their opponent for the first time in their last seven games. And they also notched a power play goal for the first time in four contests after failing to score in 11 straight opportunities with the man advantage. The Jets looked much faster after a few sluggish showings.
“We’ve been on the wrong side here the last prior four games,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “I just liked the way we battled and lots of specialty teams, but at the end of the day, we got into that third period kinda like the prior games where we were tied and we gave up the lead in those games. And tonight I just like the way we hung in. Took a little longer than 60 (minutes), but it was a real good effort.”
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.
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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 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 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 sixth of the season after he tipped it by Hellebuyck through the five-hole.
Logan Stanley would drop the gloves the first shift after the goal with Dennis Gilbert where not many punches were thrown. Both players 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.
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. Mark 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 Connor got that miss back after hammering in 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 eight 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 was called off after it was determined that enough contact was made to Hellebuyck’s skate that prevented him from making the save.
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 outshot the Jets 8-1 just after the halfway mark of the period.
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 Lowry. Lowry took the shot and was stopped but stuck 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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