The Winnipeg Jets have been simply beginning their final lengthy homestand of the 2024-25 season when the Buffalo Sabres got here to city for a Sunday matinee. The 2 franchises sit at reverse ends of the NHL standings, however everybody is aware of you must play the sport to find out the precise winner. So right here is how I noticed issues when the puck dropped at 2 pm…
GAME RECAP
As soon as the sport started on the Canada Life Centre, the Winnipeg Jets dominated puck possession because the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t get a shot on web for the opening 5 minutes. Regardless of the house workforce controlling the shot rely, it was the guests who broke the goose egg after they have been capable of pull off a set play on an offensive zone face-off and JJ Peterka lasered a puck from the highest of the precise face-off circle. BUF 1-0. The Jets tried to shortly reply when Cole Perfetti arrange defenseman Colin Miller for an opportunity from the slot, however Buffalo’s James Reimer was there to make the cease. Winnipeg needed to kill off the sport’s first penalty and did a stable job with the duty earlier than they went again to figuring out the move of play. Some large bodychecks by each franchises within the later components of the body upped the feelings. The Jets’ Brandon Tanev bought concerned with an important shift, together with a stable hit on the forecheck after which an end-to-end rush up the left wing that noticed the winger nearly tie up the match. When the horn sounded, Winnipeg was up 11-3 within the shot division but trailed on the scoreboard.
The center interval noticed the Jets get an early powerplay alternative and whereas the highest PP unit had a pair seems, they couldn’t get the job performed. Thankfully the 2nd unit was extra profitable when Perfetti handed to Nino Niederreiter along side the online, permitting the Swiss ahead the prospect to attempt to convey the puck out entrance of the Sabres’ web. Whereas El Nino did lose management of the puck within the try, it slid throughout the crease and bounced in off a defender’s skate. TIE 1-1. Winnipeg had all types of possibilities to take the lead because the interval progressed, together with nice seems from Adam Lowry (x2) & Mark Scheifele. The Jets had out-shot the Sabres 12-6 within the 2nd interval, but a uncommon Buffalo rush noticed the ahead curl up within the offensive zone earlier than discovering an uncovered Rasmus Dahlin on the level for a 1 timer. BUF 2-1.
The third interval began off very quiet and simply when Winnipeg began to placed on the stress, Scheifele was nabbed for a penalty to ship Buffalo to the powerplay. The Jets did an important job early on the PK, however simply because the groups have been about to get again to even power a degree shot produced a rebound for Manitoba-born Tyson Kozak to knock dwelling. BUF 3-1. With the hopes of the hometown crowd dwindling, Winnipeg responded shortly to revive some optimism when Scheifele arrange Colin Miller for his third good scoring likelihood of the sport. BUF 3-2. Round 5 minutes later, Winnipeg appeared to get the break they wanted after they bought a 2nd PP likelihood however Reimer denied beauty from Scheifele & Gabriel Vilardi. The push for the tying aim turned sloppy and a impartial zone mistake sprung Alex Tuch on SH breakaway to beat Comrie with a snipe from 20 ft out. BUF 4-2. With solely 6:30 left within the contest, Nikolaj Ehlers hit the put up within the brief remaining PP time because the Jets tried to get again into the sport. The Danish winger was capable of shut the hole on his subsequent shift when he flew up the left wing earlier than he blasted (94 MPH) a shot previous Reimer to make the end a bit extra fascinating. BUF 4-3. Sadly for the CLC crowd, a tremendous comeback wasn’t within the playing cards as Buffalo was in a position seal the sport with a protracted shot from their very own finish to attain on the empty web.
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FINAL SCORE: BUFFALO SABRES 5 WINNIPEG JETS 3
FINAL STATS
Photographs: 36-17 WPG / Hits: 24-20 WPG / Face-Offs: 53.8% WPG / x Targets: 3.99 WPG – 1.77 BUF /
MoneyPuck’s Need to Win: 89.7% WPG / Excessive-Medium Hazard Scoring Possibilities: 21 to 2 WPG
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SCORING SUMMARY from ESPN
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SHOT CHART from MoneyPuck
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ADVANCED SKATER STATS from MoneyPuck
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GOALIE STATS from ESPN & MoneyPuck
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If you want to dive deeper into the sport’s stats, comply with the hyperlinks beneath to the sport pages:
MoneyPuck: Buffalo Sabres vs. Winnipeg Jets – Sunday March 23 2025 – MoneyPuck.com
NaturalStatTrick: Buffalo Sabres @ Winnipeg Jets, 2025-03-23
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BOJA’s Observations:
- Nicely, there is no such thing as a arguing that this was a disappointment to look at. Whereas the Winnipeg Jets managed the puck for the overwhelming majority of the sport, they didn’t play with sufficient general effort to beat a robust efficiency by the Sabres’ James Reimer.
- The Jets additionally needed to overcome a nightmare of a sport by Eric Comrie, who solely needed to face 17 pictures however nonetheless allowed 4 targets in opposition to & completed the competition with a .750 save % & a -2.88 Targets Saved Above Anticipated. Whereas the backup tender wasn’t the one one who didn’t play adequate final night time, Winnipeg in all probability would have received the sport 3-2 if he performed like a league common goalie.
- In case you missed it within the numbers above, the Winnipeg Jets out-chanced the Buffalo Sabres in medium & excessive hazard seems 21 to 2. Unsure if our squad ever had a extra dominating efficiency in that class this yr….however in the long run, all that issues are the possibilities to finish with a puck hitting twine.
- The Jets’ prime line was nearly invisible for the primary 2 intervals, shedding the anticipated targets battle in a sport the place Winnipeg completely managed puck possession. A greater ultimate interval allowed them to complete above the 50% mark, however the workforce goes to want much more from Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, & Gabriel Vilardi in the event that they hope to make some noise within the playoffs.
- On the constructive facet, the True Northers’ acquired high quality outings by the underside six forwards. Feisty Brandon Tanev performed his greatest sport since his return to the Peg (85.9% xG) and the Adam Lowry trio regarded to rediscover their elite forechecking sport after a pair poor performances (92.7% xG).
Nicely, a missed alternative by the Jets retains their magic quantity at 9. Each of Winnipeg’s goaltenders look like struggling, the teaching employees can’t appear to get all 4 ahead traces getting into the identical sport, and the protection has been making extra errors than we’re used to seeing. Simply what you need to see because the post-season nears.
Hopefully the problem represented by the Jets subsequent sport will re-ignite the “A” video games of the True Northers….a battle between the NHL’s prime two groups is coming to the Canada Life Centre.
UP NEXT: Washington Capitals @ Winnipeg Jets – Tuesday, March twenty fifth @ 7:00 pm CST
