Game Preview | 5 things to know ahead of Sabres at Jets

WINNIPEG – Eric Comrie still finds meaning in his return trips to Winnipeg, his home city for the bulk of seven seasons to start his professional career.

“It means a lot to me,” Comrie said. “I have a lot of close friends there, a lot of good memories. It was a great place to spend a long portion of my career off and on, but I still spent a lot of time there, have a lot of good memories, a lot of friends.”

Comrie and Zach Benson – another player with Winnipeg ties – will both return from lower-body injuries when the Sabres play the Jets at Canada Life Centre on Friday. Alex Tuch is also expected to be back in the lineup after missing the past three games with an upper-body injury.

Coverage on MSG/MSG+ begins at 7:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 8.

Here are five things to know.

1. The lineup

Henri Jokiharju was a full participant in the morning skate but is expected to miss a second straight game as he works his way back from an illness.

Here’s how the group lined up Friday morning:

Forwards

53 Jeff Skinner – 24 Dylan Cozens – 89 Alex Tuch

9 Zach Benson – 37 Casey Mittelstadt – 77 JJ Peterka

12 Jordan Greenway – 17 Tyson Jost – 71 Victor Olofsson

28 Zemgus Girgensons – 19 Peyton Krebs – 21 Kyle Okposo

Defensemen

26 Rasmus Dahlin – 23 Mattias Samuelsson

33 Ryan Johnson – 25 Owen Power

75 Connor Clifton – 6 Erik Johnson

Goalies

31 Eric Comrie

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

27 Devon Levi

2. Filling the void

The Sabres will be without Tage Thompson for the first time this season after the forward sustained an upper-body injury against Boston on Tuesday. Thompson is considered week to week.

Dylan Cozens stepped in for Thompson at center on a line with Tuch and Jeff Skinner at practice on Thursday and again Friday morning. JJ Peterka – who has nine points in the last nine games – practiced on the top power-play unit along with Tuch, Skinner, Casey Mittelstadt, and Rasmus Dahlin.

The Sabres’ focus has remained the same in the wake of Thompson’s injury, which is to re-establish the confident, aggressive identity they forged throughout last season.

“We gotta play with confidence,” Tuch said. “We have to attack. We have to realize how good we are. Play with that confidence that we were able to find through longer stretches.

“[We’ve had it] this year at times, but we haven’t been able to find that consistency. I know it’s been talked about a lot and it’s something we really need to focus in on.”

3. Homecomings for Benson, Comrie

Comrie was drafted by the Jets in 2013 and played with the organization for seven seasons – albeit with brief detours in Arizona, Detroit, and New Jersey. He was the primary backup to Connor Hellebuyck – who will start Friday – during his final season with the Jets in 2021-22.

Comrie returned to Winnipeg last season and made 19 saves in Buffalo’s 3-2 win. The timing of his recovery from a lower-body injury enabled the Sabres to turn to him again Friday.

“It got better a lot faster than I thought it was going to get, so that was good,” Comrie said. “I’ve felt pretty good for a while and just been easing myself into practice and last few practices have felt really good, so I’m really happy with the progress.”

Benson spent the last three seasons with the WHL’s Winnipeg ICE, an organization that has since relocated to Wenatchee, Washington. His billet family was in attendance for the morning skate and will be at the game Friday, as will his parents.

Read more about Benson’s time in Winnipeg here.

The 18-year-old had two assists in six games prior to is injury, though coach Don Granato felt his play warranted more.

“He’s obviously a guy with a lot of talent and skill,” Granato said. “We’d love to see just that – see him make some plays. He processes the game very well and he’s been good in those areas. He probably could have a few more points based on how good he’s been in that area.”

4. On the road

Friday marks the start of the Sabres’ first extended road trip of the season as well as their first road game against a Western Conference opponent. They went 12-2-2 in Western Conference arenas last season.

The trip continues Sunday against Chicago and concludes in Washington on Wednesday – a six-day stretch that should double as a chance for team building, Granato said.

“You’re having all your meals together, you're talking to each other through the entire day, not for just three hours,” Granato said. “…  You talk about games, talking about team building, and extracurriculars to team build. The best team building is the road.”

5. Scouting the Jets

Winnipeg is 7-2-2 in its last 11 games, the product of a high-scoring offense and a defense that has been among the NHL’s best at suppressing scoring chances at even strength.

The Jets are tied for sixth in the NHL with an average of 3.67 goals scored per game. Forward Kyle Connor is tied for the NHL lead with 13 goals, seven of which have come in the last four games. Connor owns sole possession of the league lead with 10 goals at even strength.

“Kyle Connor is an easy way to see dynamic and explosive, and I would say their team is that,” Granato said. “They transition very quick, they transition with lots of confidence, and that is an identity of theirs.”

Defensively, the Jets have allowed a league-best 260 scoring chances at 5-on-5 (according to Natural Stat Trick). Their penalty kill ranks 26th at 72.2 percent.