At the Horn | Sabres 5 - Jets 3

The Buffalo Sabres beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 on Sunday at Canada Life Centre.

A season-high 33 saves from James Reimer and a career-high four points (1+3) from Ryan McLeod helped the Sabres take down the Western Conference leaders and conclude their road trip with a 2-2-0 record.

Reimer stood tall under heavy pressure all afternoon to earn his third win of the season.

Alex Tuch scored what was ultimately the game-winning goal while shorthanded in the third period, JJ Peterka scored in a third straight game and Tyson Kozak scored his second NHL goal. Rasmus Dahlin also added a goal, his 13th of the season.

Jacob Bernard-Docker recorded a pair of primary helpers for his first points – in his second game – with the Sabres. It was also the first multi-point effort of Bernard-Docker’s 131-game career.

Forward Jordan Greenway appeared shaken up after blocking a shot with his skate and didn’t return after the first intermission with a a lower-body injury; he skated 4:44 in the first period.

Winnipeg’s goals came from Nino Niederreiter, Colin Miller and Nikolaj Ehlers, and Logan Stanley added two assists. Goalie Eric Comrie stopped 12 of 16 shots.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Period

Following a series of Reimer saves, Peterka opened the scoring at 9:15. McLeod won an offensive-zone faceoff to Bernard-Docker, who passed to Peterka at the right wall; the winger wheeled into the slot and beat Comrie glove-side for his 22nd goal of the season.

Minutes later, Connor Clifton drew a defensive-zone tripping penalty to give Buffalo its first power play, but Winnipeg outshot the Sabres 2-0 while shorthanded.

Peterka’s goal was ultimately Buffalo’s last shot of the period, as the Jets held a 10-3 edge in that category through 20 minutes.

Second Period

A Clifton holding penalty to open the second gave the NHL’s best power play its first opportunity. There, Niederreiter’s cross-crease pass redirected off Beck Malenstyn’s skate and into the net to tie the game 1-1.

Late in the period, soon after the Sabres killed off a Jets power play, Mattias Samuelsson kept pace with Kyle Connor to disrupt a breakaway attempt by the NHL’s third-leading goal scorer. Then, Reimer made a sprawling glove save to deny Adam Lowry’s backhand attempt in front.

Those plays set the stage for Dahlin’s go-ahead, top-corner one-timer with 1:14 remaining in the period. Like on Peterka’s goal, Bernard-Docker earned the primary assist and McLeod the secondary.

Buffalo led 2-1 after two periods despite being outshot 23-9.

Third Period

A pressure-filled Sabres power play culminated in a rebound goal by Kozak at 7:13. It was the second NHL goal for the Souris, Manitoba native, whose family was in attendance; Kozak had a goal called back in his NHL debut versus Winnipeg on Dec. 5.

But Miller answered back for the Jets just 28 seconds later, narrowing Buffalo’s lead to 3-2.

Mark Scheifele held Samuelsson’s stick which resulted in a penalty on the Sabres defenseman, but Tuch made it a 4-2 game at 13:21 with his fourth shorthanded goal of the season. Reimer had made a reaching blocker save earlier in the power play, and Clifton set up the goal with a diving effort to clear the defensive zone. McLeod, earning his third assist of the game, chipped a pass ahead for Tuch to chase down.

Ehlers sped into the zone and clapped a shot past Reimer at 16:32 to bring the Jets back within one.

Winnipeg pulled Comrie with 2:39 remaining. With 45.6 seconds on the clock, McLeod lofted a 200-foot backhand into the empty net to secure the victory.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

UP NEXT

The Sabres return to KeyBank Center for a two-game homestand, which begins Tuesday against the Senators. Tickets are available here.

Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. before puck drop at 7.