BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Sabres scored go-ahead goals twice, had another lead taken away by a dubious goaltender interference ruling, and ultimately found themselves still sliding on the longest losing skid of the season so far.
While earning a point in the standings from their 3-2 overtime defeat against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, the Sabres lost their fifth game in a row, with four of those coming at KeyBank Center.
Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens scored in the first period for Buffalo, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 28 saves. But the Jets responded quickly to each goal, and snapped a four-game skid when Adam Lowry knocked a rebound past Luukkonen at 3:59 into overtime.
“I think we played a good game tonight, that’s why it stings so much,” Luukkonen said. “Defensively, we were really solid tonight. We didn’t give them much. We created enough chances to win the game. … It was a good turnaround from last game.”
Challenging situations
Rookie forward Tyson Kozak appeared to give the Sabres a 3-2 lead late in the second period, but the Jets successfully challenged that Back Malenstyn interferned with Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck (28 saves).
“I didn’t like the call — didn’t like it either way,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We had it go the other way on us, and then went the right way for them.”
Ruff lost a challenge for goaltender interference when Gabriel Vilardi Winnipeg’s tying goal soon after Thompson scored in the first period.
Luukkonen “was out of the crease, the guy that went through was out of the crease,” Ruff said. “Does that mean the guy can run the goalie over because he’s out of the crease? No.”
“It’s a quick game, it’s hard for the refs to make the right calls always, but I have no chance to make a save on that play,” Luukkonen said. “If your toes are out of the crease now, it’s kind of, you know, a free for all – you can get hit and they can do whatever they want.”
Up next
Buffalo continues its five-game homestand Saturday against Utah.