Sabres slip up in the 3rd period, lose chance at another 3-win streak

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — On the verge of their second three-game win streak in two weeks, the Sabres allowed four goals in the third period to lose 5-2 against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night at KeyBank Center.

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After Eric Robinson gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead midway through the second, the Sabres lost in regulation when leading after two periods for the first time this season (19-1-1). The loss dropped Buffalo’s overall record to 29-29-4, and 14-17-1 at home.

“I don’t know if we were playing not to lose instead of trying to just go out there and play in the offensive zone and play defense by playing offense,” Robinson said. “It just felt like we were trying to hold onto it. You can’t do that against good teams.”

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“We made too many mistakes. It cost us,” coach Don Granato said. “Some guys showed fatigue a little bit more than others. And when that’s the case you want to play a little bit more efficient. There’s not a whole lot more to say.”

JJ Peterka scored his 20th goal, matching Jeff Skinner for the team lead, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made stopped 30 of 33 shots he faced playing on the second night of a back-to-back set. Two of Winnipeg’s goals were scored into the empty net in the closing minutes.

Defenseman Josh Morrissey tied the game for the Jets with 9:22 left in the third period, and Morgan Barron got the winner 3:17 later. Backup goalie Laurent Brossoit needed to make only 17 saves in the win.

Morrissey tied the game on a rush, when he got in behind Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju. Accepting Mark Scheifele’s pass, Morrissey drove to the net and had his shot somehow trickle in through Luukkonen.

Barron’s goal came when Buffalo’s Peyton Krebs misplayed the puck at the boards just outside the Jets zone. Barron chased down the loose puck and, breaking in up the right side, snapped a shot that appeared to glance in off Luukkonen’s glove.

The Jets’ 39 wins are the franchise’s most through 60 games of a season, and already match the eighth-most in team history, when Winnipeg finished the 2021-22 season 39-22-11.

Up next

Buffalo plays rival Toronto on Wednesday before traveling Nashville the next night.

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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.

The Associated Press contributed.

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