BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Ryan McLeod had a career-best four points and James Reimer made a season-high 33 saves for the Sabres in a 5-3 victory against the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
Alex Tuch got the winning goal for Buffalo shorthanded with 6:39 left in the third period. JJ Peterka scored in the first period, his third game in a row with a goal. Rasmus Dahlin tallied his 13th of the season, and defenseman Jakob Bernard-Docker had two assists in his second game with the Sabres after being acquired at the trade deadline. McLeod added an empty-net goal after notching three assists.
Former Sabres goaltender Eric Comrie made 12 saves for the Jets, who had a 36-17 advantage in shots on goal. Winnipeg came into the game with 100 standings points, needing just one more to clinch a playoff spot.
The Sabres have 62 points on their way to extending the NHL’s longest postseason drought in history to 14 years and remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, seven points behind the Boston Bruins for 14th place.
Sabres forward Jordan Greenway left the game in the first period after blocking a shot with his foot and did not return.
Closing out a four-game road trip on which they went 2-2-0, the Sabres host Dylan Cozens and the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night, and Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.