Jets topple Sabres in shootout without Connor, Schmidt

Blake Wheeler had a goal in regulation and scored the shootout winner, Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves and the Winnipeg Jets rallied to beat the Sabres 3-2 in Buffalo on Wednesday night for their third consecutive victory.

"We just need wins," Dubois said. "It doesn't matter how. I think we all agree that we can play better. We have to play better. But at the end of the day, we get the two points. And that's what we need right now."

Winnipeg opened a back-to-back road trip without leading scorer Kyle Connor and defenseman Nate Schmidt, after both were placed on the NHL's COVID-19 list earlier Wednesday. Every player on the Jets' roster has missed time because of virus protocols this season.

"That's kind of been the story of our year, in terms of COVID and how it has affected our team," Wheeler said. "Never easy to lose two guys, especially two guys of that caliber. So it was definitely a good night for guys to step up."

Wheeler's deciding goal in the shootout was the sixth of his career.

WATCH | Wheeler caps off 3 straight goals for Winnipeg in the shootout:

Jets edge the Sabres in a shootout

3 years ago

Duration 0:34

Captain Blake Wheeler is the hero with a slow motion winner in the shootout, as Winnipeg captures valuable points with a 3-2 win over Buffalo.

"I don't really plan it before I go," he said. "Just see where the goalie is at, feel him out a little bit."

Zemgus Girgensons scored twice and Kyle Okposo had two assists for the Sabres, who have a point in seven straight games, their longest streak over the past three seasons.

"We generated a lot of chances," Girgensons said. "Sometimes goalies make big stops. Especially in OT there, we had a golden opportunity and the goalie just came up big for them."

Hellebuyck stopped six shots in overtime while the Jets killed a two-minute slashing penalty on Dubois, who had hit the post in the opening seconds of OT. Hellebuyck made one save in the shootout.

"I felt that Hellebuyck was very good for them," Sabres coach Don Granato said. "We could've had some separation. There wasn't, and credit to him."

The Jets tied it twice in the second period on goals by Wheeler and Appleton.

Wheeler tapped in his 11th at 4:13 of the second after Dubois faked Anderson off his skates and slid a backhand to the front of the net.

Nikolaj Ehlers' cross-ice pass on the rush set up Appleton in the right circle with 21 seconds left in the period. It was the seventh goal of the season for Appleton, and his first in five games since being reacquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken, who selected him off the Jets' roster in the July expansion draft.

Craig Anderson made 25 saves for the Sabres.

Girgensons gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead 8:24 into the second, knocking in the rebound from Henri Jokiharju's shot for his 10th goal.

The Jets didn't record a shot until midway through the first period but nearly scored soon after when Appleton deflected one off the post.

"That's usually not the winning formula," Hellebuyck said. "But this team's resilient, and we found a way."