WINNIPEG JETS

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Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

HIGHLIGHT REEL Jets 2 Sabres 1 (OT)

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 01/9/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

At First Niagara Center

Big picture

The Jets are alive; pull back on the panic. The victory, their first in three games on the road this week, keeps Winnipeg in solid touch with the chase for playoff spots, one point behind the eighth-place Pittsburgh Penguins. The Jets have 45 points with their 20th win of the season as they hit the halfway point of the 81-game trek.

Little picture

Johnny Oduya found the open ice 57 seconds into overtime and took an excellent pass from Evander Kane. He cruised down the slot and from the hash marks, lifted a shot just under the crossbar into the top corner to deliver the victory. Blake Wheeler had Winnipeg's second-period goal, offsetting a power-play marker by Buffalo's Tyler Myers.

Game-breaker

Oduya created the winning play in the beginning, gobbling up a turnover in the neutral zone. He got it to the right wing to Kane, who crossed the blue-line and drew three of the four Sabres on the ice, Thomas Vanek, Nathan Gerbe and Myers, leaving Oduya with plenty of room to receive the return pass.

Free Press ★★★

★ Johnny Oduya, Jets. The man of the hour should be the first star.

★★ Ondrej Pavelec, Jets. No soft goals in this one, faced 32 shots.

★★★ Jhonas Enroth, Sabres. Jets had 41 shots, forced the Sabres goalie to be good at home.

-- Tim Campbell

SUMMARY

First Period

No Scoring.

Penalties -- M.Stuart Wpg (hooking) 2:16, Enroth Buf (hooking; served by Boyes) 14:45.

Second Period

1. Buffalo, Myers 3 (Pominville, Gragnani) 11:08 (pp)

2. Winnipeg, Wheeler 8 (Enstrom, Little) 19:55 (pp)

Penalties -- Kaleta Buf (interference) 0:23, Wheeler Wpg (hooking) 10:04, Antropov Wpg (interference) 14:11, Vanek Buf (hooking) 18:55, Leopold Buf (throwing stick) 19:10.

Third Period

No Scoring.

Penalty -- Enstrom Wpg (hooking) 7:21.

Overtime

3. Winnipeg, Oduya 2 (Kane) 0:57

Penalties -- None.

Shots on goal by

Winnipeg1118111--41

Buffalo101480--32

Goal -- Winnipeg: Pavelec (W,15-13-5); Buffalo: Enroth (L,8-7-3).

Power plays (goals-chances) -- Winnipeg: 1-4; Buffalo: 1-4.

Referees -- Eric Furlatt, Francois St. Laurent. Linesmen -- Scott Cherrey, Tim Nowak.

Attendance -- 18,690 (18,690).

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 9, 2012 C3

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