WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) - Kyle Okposo came through with his first multi-goal game with Buffalo Sabres, and Robin Lehner shut down the Winnipeg Jets to get the Sabres a needed win.
Okposo scored twice, Brian Gionta also had a goal, and Lehner made 37 saves to lead the Sabres to a 3-1 win over the Jets on Sunday.
The Jets outshot Buffalo 38-28, including 17-7 when in the third when they spoiled Lehner’s shutout bid.
“I thought we did a really good job angling our third guy when they were able to come out of the zone,” Okposo said. “I thought we did a good job shutting their rush down, shutting their chances down.”
Sabres coach Dan Bylsma likes the way his team has regrouped after a 4-3 shootout loss in Philadelphia on Thursday, when they gave up a three-goal lead in the third.
“I do think we have to have learned a lesson from the Philadelphia game,” he said.
Nickolaj Ehlers scored for Winnipeg. Michael Hutchinson gave up the three goals on 15 shots before he was replaced by Connor Hellebuyck late in the second period. Hellebuyck stopped all 10 shots he faced.
Penalty killing was a big part of the win, with the Sabres giving up six power plays to Winnipeg’s one, including two in the third period when the Jets attempted a comeback.
Okposo came out of the penalty box in the first, then regained control of his own blocked shot at 10:51, driving it over Hutchinson’s shoulder.
Gionta made it 2-0 on a loose puck less than two minutes later in the first. Okposo beat Hutchinson again with 6:01 left in the second - this time high on his stick side - to make it 3-0.
That was enough for Jets coach Paul Maurice, who brought in Hellebuyck.
“It is what it is,” Hutchinson said. “You try and help the team win. It doesn’t matter who is in the net every given night.”
Ehlers finally scored for Winnipeg at 4:49 of the third.
The Jets were playing for the fourth game in six days, though they had a day off after back to back wins - including a 1-0 shutout against Colorado on Friday when Hutchinson posted his first shutout of the season.
Lehner was impenetrable through two periods, although the Sabres gave up four power plays through the first 40 minutes.
“Obviously their goalie was good but we had some good chances that we could have put in,” Ehlers said. “Hopefully the next game they go in.”
Winnipeg stayed out of the penalty box until early in the third but Buffalo had trouble getting off a shot on the ensuing man advantage until there were only a few seconds left.
NOTES: The Jets and Sabres pulled off a major trade last season, but only two players involved were on the ice Sunday. Last February, the Jets got goalie Drew Stafford and Joel Armia, defenseman Tyler Myers and draft picks for forward Evander Kane, defenseman Zach Bogosian and goalie Jason Kasdorf. Stafford, Myers and Kane all sat out Sunday with injuries.
UP NEXT:
Sabres: At Minnesota on Tuesday night.
Jets: Host Washington on Tuesday night.
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