Next day takeaways: 2 thoughts as the Winnipeg Jets lose to the Buffalo Sabres 5-3

Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres could loom large for the Winnipeg Jets down the stretch in a race for first place in the Central Division. Buffalo had played the night before in Minnesota, and the Jets had two days off before the game. They lost this one by a score of 5-3. 

Jets triple the Sabres in scoring chances

The Jets have not gotten “goalied” too often this season. However, if there was ever a time to smack that label on a loss, Sunday’s effort against the Buffalo Sabres was it. 

The Jets out-chanced the Sabres 32-9 in this game. The high-danger chances were 13-2, the shot attempts 71-32, and the expected goals 3.98-1.68. 

“Without a doubt,” Scott Ariel said when asked if his team generated enough to win this one. “Triple the amount of scoring chances. Their goaltender played great.”

The Jets had a power play, down 3-2, and allowed a shorthanded goal to Alex Tuch which pushed it to 4-2. Nikolaj Ehlers made things close with a slapshot late in the third before Buffalo scored into the empty net. 

“Haven’t had one of those in a while, where we dominate like that and come out on the wrong end of it. Their goaltender played really, really well.”

Losing at home to the Sabres could be something that comes back to bite the Jets in their race for the top seed in the Central Division, and with three home games left on this homestand, every point is crucial. 

Nino Niederreiter breaks his extended goal drought

Nino Niederreiter broke a 15-game goal drought, as he got the Jets on the board from the second power-play unit in the middle frame. 

Niederreiter took a huge hit and crashed into the boards at the end of the first period, and Arniel confirmed after the game that he was placed in concussion protocol. 

He returned to the game to begin the second period, which was a great sign before he made an impact on the scoresheet. It was his 15th goal of the year. 

Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)

“You obviously never want to see one of your teammates take a hit and get called into protocol,” Brandon Tanev said after the game. “But he took all the right steps and did all the right things to get back and put on the ice and he got rewarded by playing the right way. That’s a teammate, taking a hit to make a play to get the puck in and do a job and that’s ultimately how we need to keep playing and it was great to see him get rewarded.”

The third line of Niederreiter-Lowry-Appleton’s offensive output has taken a hit as of late. 

While they are used as a shutdown line, and a very good one at that, they’ll have to chip in offensively and provide some secondary scoring in any playoff series, and Niederreiter breaking his goal drought was a good first step for that line to hit the ground running into the postseason. 

Up next

The Jets’ next game is a rematch of what was the game of the year, as the Washington Capitals are headed to town. The last time these two teams met was an absolute classic, 5-4 in overtime, as Josh Morrissey netted the OT winner.  Stay tuned to Illegalcurve.com for the latest news and video throughout a busy Jets week of games and practices.