Buffalo @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 23, 2020 ) Winnipeg 1, Buffalo 2

The road has been a difficult place this season for the Buffalo Sabres, who look to salvage something from a four-game trip Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets. The Sabres have been outscored 12-6 and are 0-for-5 on the power play in dropping the first three games of their road swing, seeing an early 2-0 lead Saturday at Arizona disintegrate with five unanswered goals in a 5-2 defeat that dropped Buffalo to 10-18-4 away from home.

“We feel pain right now,” Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger told reporters after Saturday’s loss. “There’s nothing I can say that’s going to make this pretty. But, we definitely will stay on the growth path that we are on.” While the Sabres began the week well outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Jets are in crowded battle for one of the final spots in the West. Winnipeg held a 2-1 lead late in the second period Saturday at Edmonton, but gave up a power-play goal before intermission and the game winner with 5:16 left in a 3-2 defeat that left the Jets in a virtual tie with Nashville and Arizona for eighth in the West entering Monday. “It doesn’t matter how hard we play, you have to get results this time of year,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler told the media postgame. “We’re in a position where we’re tied with five minutes to play in the game. We can’t leave with zero (points).”

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: MSG Buffalo, TSN3

ABOUT THE SABRES (29-28-8): Forward Jeff Skinner has scored in back-to-back games and owns three goals in his past five outings, after going goalless in his first 11 contests after his return from an upper-body injury. Forward Wayne Simmonds registered his first point with the Sabres in his third game since being traded from New Jersey, assisting on Skinner’s goal to give him 499 career points. Rookie goaltender Jonas Johansson made 26 saves Saturday to fall to 1-2-1 through his first five games, while Carter Hutton has lost back-to-back starts following a 5-1-0 stretch.

ABOUT THE JETS (33-28-6): Winnipeg gave up two power-play goals Saturday after going 10-for-10 on the penalty kill in its previous four games, as the Jets fell to 1-3-1 in that span. Forward Kyle Connor scored his team-leading 33rd goal in the second period against Edmonton to give him a three-game goal-scoring streak - four of his past six games - and 100 goals for his career. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 19-of-22 shots to fall to 1-3-0 in his past four games, and while he shut out Washington on Thursday, the 26-year-old surrendered nine goals in the three defeats.

OVERTIME

1. The Sabres began the week last in the NHL on the penalty kill at 74.3 percent, having allowed two goals on eight opposing power plays across the past five games.

2. Winnipeg F Patrik Laine, who missed Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury, did not practice Monday and will be reassessed after Tuesday’s morning skate.

3. Buffalo forward Kyle Okposo scored twice and Johansson earned his first NHL victory with 25 saves in a 2-1 home victory over the Jets on Feb. 23.

PREDICTION: Jets 4, Sabres 2