James Reimer stole the show in Sabres 5-3 win in Winnipeg

(WGR 550/WBEN) – I think the Buffalo Sabres can be very proud of their 5-3 win in Winnipeg over the Jets for many reasons.

First, Buffalo played in Minnesota on Saturday afternoon and was finishing three games in four days while the Jets hadn’t played since Thursday in Edmonton.

Winnipeg came into the game with a points percentage of .714 which was second best in the NHL and 25-5-4 at home, yes just five regulation losses and they hadn’t lost in regulation at home in eight games going 7-0-1. The last regulation loss at home was against the Calgary Flames, 3-1 on Jan. 18.

Rasmus Dahlin said on the Sabres postgame show that in Utah against the Hockey Club, they found a way to lose. Despite all these factors against them on Sunday, Buffalo found a way to win.

The biggest reason the Sabres won was James Reimer absolutely stood on his head making acrobatic saves all day long. At the other end, former Sabre Eric Comrie had a day he’d like to forget as the Sabres were extremely opportunistic.

Buffalo was outshot 36-17 and the Jets had 71 shot attempts to the Sabres 32, but they weren’t detoured. In the third period they seemed to settle down and made big plays to go with Reimer’s big saves.

Both Reimer and Tyson Kozak were playing at home and had many friends and family there. Kozak estimated around 150 people were there for him including his grandfather who was seeing his first NHL game. Kozak, who has shown Lindy Ruff time and time again that he belongs in the NHL, won a faceoff back to Mattias Samuelsson. Kozak went to the net along with Beck Malenstyn and converted the juicy rebound left by Comrie for his second NHL goal. That gave the Sabres a 3-1 lead.

At 12:02, Samuelsson got a horrible penalty called against him. Behind the net, Mark Scheifele put a vice grip hold on Samuelsson’s stick, but the referee at center ice, who could only see their backs, called a penalty on Samuelsson when it really should’ve gone to Scheifele.

Winnipeg came in with the league’s best power play and already had scored a lucky one earlier that when in off of Malenstyn. The desperation we saw helped them win this game. First, Alex Tuch blocked a shot that got the puck out, then Connor Clifton dove to sweep another puck out to Ryan McLeod. He found Tuch breaking in alone and he easily beat Comrie when his team needed a big save. It was Tuch’s fourth shorthanded goal of the season and his 27^th goal overall. Tuch has 11 goals in his last 17 games. That restored the Sabres two-goal lead.

Nikolaj Ehlers unloaded a missile from the left circle that looked like it may have deflected off Owen Power’s stick and over Reimer’s shoulder, but there was no panic from the Sabres. They kept working hard and kept playing with that same desperation. It paid off when McLeod was directly in front of Reimer and backhanded a puck all the way down the ice and into the empty net to secure the win. McLeod had a goal and three assists for a career high four points.

Reimer I’m sure had a number of the Jets muttering to themselves, but none more than Nino Niederreitter. In the third Vladislav Namestnikov blasted around the Sabres defense, went behind the net and found Niederreiter alone down the slot. Reimer robbed him there, but a few minutes later while laying on his side with most of the net open, he got the glove up to stone him again from the left circle.

The power play saves that kept the Sabres ahead in the third came on Scheifele who was wide open in the left circle and Gabe Vilardi near the net.

There were just too many spectacular saves to talk about them all. Reimer had 33 stops on the game.

Comrie looked like he did many times while playing for the Sabres. JJ Peterka scored in his third straight game when the Jets allowed him to come out from the wall to the slot and fire it over Comrie’s glove who was not screened.

Rasmus Dahlin beat him from the right point and a one-timer that was a bomb, but Comrie overplayed the shot and left the far side open.

Jacob Bernard-Decker was playing his second game as a Sabre and put the puck right in Dahlin’s wheelhouse giving him two assists on the day. I think in both games he was solid defensively.

Jordan Greenway blocked a shot and did play a little after he had limped to the bench, but finally he left the game with a lower-body injury. No word if it was from the blocked shot.

The Sabres flew back to Buffalo after the game, but will get their fourth game in six days and four cities on Tuesday against Dylan Cozens and the Ottawa Senators.