After the Buffalo Sabres took four straight games at home, the team looked to get its first road win since November 29 against Montréal. The Sabres had to play in Winnipeg against the Jets, where Buffalo has yet to win since the team moved from Atlanta. The winless streak in Winnipeg will continue after Tuesday night as the Jets shoot down the four-game win streak and the Sabres 5-1 at the MTS Centre.
The Sabres were the better team in the first period, outplaying and outshooting the Jets 12-8 in the frame. Buffalo got ahead late in the first period with a powerplay by Nikita Zadorov with about 44-seconds left in the period.
In the second period, Winnipeg opened the flood gates halfway into the period starting with a powerplay goal from Mark Scheifele. Michael Frolic would add a shorthanded goal just 2:04 later to give Winnipeg the 2-1 lead. Scheifele would add his second goal of the night about three minutes later to give Winnipeg a 3-1 lead.
The third period would not prove much better for the Sabres as Evander Kane scored 1:11 into the third period to give Winnipeg a three-goal lead. Chris Thorburn would add another goal for the Jets to give Winnipeg the 5-1 score and win.
The Sabres were outshot in the game 36-28, and gave up 28 shots in the final two periods of the game.
In his first game of the season after Monday’s call-up, Mikhail Grigorenko saw 15:59 of total ice-time, was a minus-1, and won 53-percent of the draws he took on the night. Grigorenko played a solid game centering a line of Nick Deslauriers and Drew Stafford, even though he was not present on the stat board.
Michal Neuvirth made 31 saves on 36 shots faced in his first game since December 6th when the Sabres fell to the Florida Panthers 3-2.
The Sabres have now lost three straight games on the road being outscored 13-3, and being outshot 108-69 in the three game span. The Sabres will head back home to prepare for the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night at the First Niagara Center. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and can be seen on MSG Network.