Sabres at Jets
Sunday has been circled on Evander Kane’s calendar since this season’s NHL schedule was released, and certainly fans of the Winnipeg Jets took note of the date as well. The Buffalo Sabres play at Winnipeg on Sunday, marking Kane’s first game as a visiting player since the Jets dealt the fourth overall pick of the 2009 draft in February, ending a relationship that soured amid reports of disharmony in the locker room.
Kane did his part to not focus on the past during a Friday morning meeting with reporters – before the Sabres’ 3-1 loss at Chicago – telling the media he has “moved on” from the city. “There were a lot of disappointments throughout my time there,” said Kane, who has eight goals and five assists in 31 games this season. “It’s something I really don’t think about now. A lot of other people still do in Winnipeg.” The Jets come in off a 2-2-1 road trip after taking a point from Central Division-leading Dallas in Thursday’s 2-1 shootout loss, and play nine of their next 10 games at home where they are 11-5-1. Buffalo has more pressing concerns than Kane and the reaction he will receive, having dropped six in a row to arrive at the season’s midpoint with just 34 points (second-lowest total in the NHL through Friday).
TV: 3 p.m. ET, MSG B and Bell TV (Buffalo), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE SABRES (15-22-4): Buffalo scored six goals in a victory at Boston Dec. 26 to move within one game of .500, but the offense has sputtered since – scoring just eight times during the losing streak and tallying one goal or fewer four times. “We’ve got to find a way to generate offense and actually get results early in the game,” center Ryan O’Reilly told the media after scoring the Sabres’ lone goal Friday. Rookie center Jack Eichel, 19, is putting together a solid debut campaign, recording 13 goals and 13 assists.
ABOUT THE JETS (19-19-3): Winnipeg has played seven more road games than home contests through the season’s midpoint and, despite an 8-14-2 mark away from home, sits four points out of the final Western Conference playoff spot entering Saturday. “The schedule has been a lot to handle, and being able to pick up some real key points and wins on this road trip has put us in a good spot,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters after Thursday’s game. Forward Blake Wheeler has not scored a goal in his past 12 games but ranked fourth in the league in assists (30) and tied for seventh in points (40) through Friday, while center Bryan Little – tied with Drew Stafford for the team lead in goals with 14 – recorded just one point (an assist) on the road trip.
OVERTIME
1. Kane, who played his first two seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers before the team moved to Winnipeg, finished with 109 goals and 113 assists in 361 career games with the franchise.
2. The Jets have to be better on special teams, ranking 29th in the NHL entering Saturday on the power play and in the bottom third in penalty killing.
3. Stafford, who came to Winnipeg from Buffalo in the Kane deal, has three goals in his past four games.