Comrie shines to lead Jets over Sabres

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Eric Comrie made 34 saves, Kyle Connor scored his team-leading 15th goal and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 on Friday night to avenge a road loss to start the week.

Buffalo beat Winnipeg 5-1 at home on Monday night.

Cole Koepke added his first goal with the Jets to go along with an assist after signing in free agency over the summer. Tanner Pearson and Gabriel Vilardi, with an empty-netter, also scored.

Jason Zucker scored for Buffalo, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 19 shots. The Sabres played the second game of six-game trip that they opened with a 5-2 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

The Jets didn’t get their first shot on goal until 4:03 of the first period, but turned up the pressure quickly when Connor used his own rebound to beat Luukkonen at 4:24. It moved the winger out of a tie with Mark Scheifele for the team lead.

Zucker’s goal came during Buffalo’s second power play of the first when he put the puck past Comrie off his own rebound with 5:16 left in the first.

Pearson scored the go-ahead goal at 2:22 of the second on a breakaway. Koepke used a backhand to bury his goal with 1:18 left in the period.

Up next

Sabres: At Calgary on Monday night.

Jets: At Edmonton on Saturday night before returning home for four straight.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl