Winnipeg, Manitoba (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres' impressive road trip rolled on Thursday night, as the blue and gold defeated the Winnipeg Jets by a final score of 3-2 at Canadian Life Centre.
After a scoreless first period of play, the Sabres absolutely owned all things hockey in the second. Shot totals were 14-5 in favor of Buffalo, and possession wasn't even a contest.
The blue and gold were finally rewarded on the scoreboard at the 10:32 mark when defenseman Owen Power scored, yet, another goal this week. After a lengthy dry spell, it was Power's third-straight game with a goal.
Four minutes later, the top line went to work in a beautiful way.
The combination of Jeff Skinner, Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson put on a passing clinic against one of the best goaltenders in the National Hockey League, Connor Hellebuyck, and capped it all off with Thompson's 34th goal of the season.
The Sabres took their 2-0 lead into the third period of play, and built upon it on a power play in the middle of the frame.
With Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt in the box for a roughing minor on Dylan Cozens, Victor Olofsson kept his shot hot, as he fired in his 23rd goal of the season against Hellebuyck.
As it turns out, the blue and gold needed every ounce of that third goal, as it allowed them to withstand a late push from Winnipeg.
The Jets got late goals from Schmidt and forward Pierre-Luc Dubois to make things interesting at 3-2, but that would be as close as the home side would get.
This win now marks the Sabres' second-such five-game winning streak or more during the 2022-23 season.
Cozens did not return after a hit taken from Schmidt in the third period, which lead to the minor penalty that led to Olofsson's goal.
----------
GAME RECAP
Scoring Summary:
First Period:
BUF: NONE
WPG: NONE
Second Period:
BUF: 10:32 - Owen Power (3) (Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson); 14:15 - Tage Thompson (34) (Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner)
WPG: NONE
Third Period:
BUF: 10:30 - Victor Olofsson (23) PPG (Jeff Skinner, Rasmus Dahlin)
WPG: 15:14 - Nate Schmidt (5) PPG (Adam Lowry, Neil Pionk); 19:18 - Pierre-Luc Dubois (22) (Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler)
----------
Penalty Summary:
First Period:
BUF: 7:45 - Jeff Skinner (Holding - 2 min.); 17:00 - JJ Peterka (High sticking - 2 min.)
WPG: 19:45 - Pierre-Luc Dubois (Tripping - 2 min.)
Second Period:
BUF: NONE
WPG: NONE
Third Period:
BUF: 14:01 - Peyton Krebs (High sticking - 2 min.)
WPG: 9:36 - Nate Schmidt (Roughing - 2 min.)
----------
----------
Losi and Gangi Three Stars of the Game:
1.) Jeff Skinner - BUF
2.) Tage Thompson - BUF
3.) Connor Hellebuyck - WPG
----------
What's next:
The blue and gold return to the U.S. on Saturday to face the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center. Faceoff is set for 9 p.m. EST with pregame coverage on WGR starting at 8 p.m. EST with Brian Koziol.