The Buffalo Sabres continue their six-game road trip with a matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday at 7 p.m. EST at Canada Life Centre. The Sabres are looking to rebound after a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, where three quick goals in less than a minute set them back early.
Reflecting on the loss, Tage Thompson said, “Obviously it’s frustrating after this loss, but we can’t let that carry over into tomorrow and the road trip. It’s a big road trip, a lot of points up for grabs that we need, so this is one we’ve just got to shake off and get ready for the rest of the road trip.”
Buffalo recently defeated Winnipeg 5-1 at KeyBank Center on Monday, marking one of their strongest performances this season. In that game, the Sabres built an early lead and outperformed Winnipeg’s top line during even-strength play.
The Sabres will look to replicate their previous success against Winnipeg despite being on the road. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will start in goal after stopping 23 of 24 shots in Monday’s win over the Jets. Jordan Greenway returns to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game for load management reasons.
Defenseman Bowen Byram has contributed five goals in his last 11 games, while Mattias Samuelsson has reached a career-high five goals this season. Overall, Buffalo defensemen have combined for 15 goals so far, ranking among the league leaders.
Byram commented on his recent offensive contributions: “Our forwards are doing a really good job of entering the zone with speed and delaying at times and finding us [defensemen] in the zone,” he said. “I feel like we’ve been doing a better job of that lately. A lot of it comes from there, and a lot of it comes from just identifying when you can get up and join, and when it’s probably smarter to hang back a little.
“So, something that all us [defensemen] will continue to work on and try to help the team in whatever way we can.”
Rasmus Dahlin has scored only once on 62 shots this season but could be due for more goals as his shooting percentage is lower than expected.
On Winnipeg’s side, Monday’s defeat led to a players-only meeting but did not result in immediate improvement; they lost again in Montreal via shootout and have struggled recently with only one win in their last seven games. Their difficulties coincide with starting goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s absence following knee surgery. Former Sabre Eric Comrie has taken over goaltending duties but has posted an .891 save percentage since Hellebuyck was sidelined.
Winnipeg’s top line—Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Gabriel Vilardi—has accounted for half of the team’s total goals this season. Limiting their production remains key for Buffalo as they aim for another victory against the Jets.
Coverage of Friday’s game will be available locally on MSG (with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m.), streaming through Gotham Sports App and ESPN+ (for out-of-market viewers), as well as radio broadcasts via WGR 550 and the Buffalo Sabres App.
