Eric Comrie made 34 saves to help the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-1 win against the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Friday.
Kyle Connor, Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke scored for the Jets, who won for just the second time in their past eight games.
Jason Zucker scored, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 19 saves for the Sabres, who have lost two in a row after winning four of six.
Buffalo controlled play early, jumping out to a 6-0 advantage in shots on goal and 9-0 in attempts three and a half minutes into the contest.
Winnipeg collected its first shot at the four-minute mark and soon after opened the scoring, courtesy of Connor.
Luukkonen stopped Connor’s initial shot from in front, but the rebound popped right back out to the winger, who slid a wrist shot under the goalie’s pads give the Jets a 1-0 lead at 4:24.
Zucker tied it 1-1 on the power play at 14:44. Comrie got his stick on Zucker’s attempt from in front, but he couldn’t control the rebound and Zucker swept it in.
Pearson capitalized on a turnover to put Winnipeg ahead 2-1 at 2:22 of the second period. He poked away a pass attempt by Alex Tuch at the Jets’ blue line. Koepke collected the puck and pushed it ahead for Pearson, who broke in and beat Luukkonen glove side.
Koepke made it 3-1 at 18:42. He took a pass from Morgan Barron in the left circle and brought it to the net before slipping a backhand past Luukkonen’s left pad.
Scheifele appeared to push it to 4-1 with six and a half minutes remaining in the third, but the Sabres challenged for offside and the goal was overturned after video review showed he preceded Connor carrying the puck into the zone.
Vilardi capped off the scoring with an empty-net goal at 19:26.
Winnipeg captain Adam Lowry was awarded a penalty shot midway through the second period after he was hooked by Dahlin as he tried to take off on a breakaway, but Luukkonen made the save.
–Field Level Media
