Goalie interference reviews loom large as Sabres fall to Jets in overtime

In a game defined by goalie interference rulings, or lack thereof, the Buffalo Sabres lost 3-2 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday at KeyBank Center.

A pair of video reviews allowed the Jets to tie the game 1-1 in the first, maintained a 2-2 tie late in the second and left a sour taste in the Sabres’ mouths as Buffalo’s winless streak extended to five games at 0-3-2.

At 4:14 in the first, less than a minute after Tage Thompson’s score-opening goal, Gabriel Vilardi bumped into Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s glove as he deflected Haydn Fleury’s point shot into the net.

Luukkonen was positioned atop the crease and Vilardi never entered the blue paint. Still, Buffalo’s goaltender felt he’d been denied a chance to make a stop. The Sabres’ challenge failed and the goal stood.

“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."

“[Luukkonen] was out of the crease, the guy that went through was out of the crease,” said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff. “Does that mean the guy can run the goalie over because he's out of the crease? No.”

Later, with the game tied 2-2, Sabres forward Tyson Kozak appeared to have scored a go-ahead goal in his NHL debut. Beck Malenstyn, engaged in a net-front battle, made contact with Connor Hellebuyck nearly identical to Vilardi’s on Luukkonen.

This time, however, the officials ruled that there was interference; because of Malenstyn’s contact, which occurred just within the crease, the goal was disallowed.

“Sucks for it to be disallowed, and obviously sucks even more for us to lose in overtime,” Kozak said.

“I didn't like the call – didn’t like it either way,” Ruff said. “We had it go the other way on us, and then went the right way for them.”

Luukkonen echoed his coach’s frustration with the inconsistency between calls.

“I might be a little bit outside the crease, but I feel like that was kind of two similar plays and two different calls," he said.

Here’s more from Thursday’s game.

1. With Kozak’s apparent goal overturned, the game remained tied through regulation. In 3-on-3, the Sabres were unable to capitalize on a few odd-man rushes before a 2-on-0 rush led to Adam Lowry’s game-winning goal.

Luukkonen made the initial save on Lowry, but the loose puck hung around the crease long enough for Winnipeg’s captain to score his seventh of the season and snap his team’s four-game losing streak.

“Overtime, you’re going to trade a chance,” Ruff said. “You’re going to get two or three going one way and you’re going to give up one the other way. … I think we could have done a better job stopping in front of our net coming back.”

Buffalo is now 3-3 this season in games decided in overtime.

2. Thompson’s power-play goal 3:27 into the first period snapped Buffalo’s six-game, 0-for-16 drought with the man advantage.

Typically positioned for one-timers from the left circle, Thompson shifted to the right circle on Thursday. He received Jason Zucker’s pass from behind the net, firing a wrist shot off the far post and in behind Hellebuyck for his third goal in two games and team-leading 14th of the season.

3. Despite being denied a potential game winner, Kozak relished his first NHL action, which began with the customary solo lap prior to Buffalo’s warmups. It didn’t take long for the 21-year-old’s nerves to subside, though.

“My legs were shaking, hands were shaking,” said the 21-year-old from Souris, Manitoba, a 2,000-person town roughly two hours from Winnipeg. “But after that first shift, I felt very comfortable.

“Not a lot of hockey players play in the NHL from small towns, so that’s a very cool moment for me and my family back home.”

Kozak centered Malenstyn and Nicolas Aube-Kubel on a highly effective fourth line. In that trio’s 7:27 of 5-on-5 ice time, Buffalo led 11-4 in shot attempts, 7-2 in scoring chances and 5-0 in high-danger scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

“I thought we were good on the forecheck,” Kozak said. “I thought we had more O-zone time than D-zone time, for sure. So it made it a little easier for me being my first game, and those two guys are really fun to play with.”

“Aube was moving, Aube was strong on the puck,” Ruff said. “I think he’s finally got his game back in the right place. And you got two strong guys, you got a guy that’s fearless in Kozak.”

Kozak still seeks his first NHL goal, but he contributed nonetheless in his Thursday debut, which figures to have been a memorable night for the 2021 seventh-round pick.

4. With captain Rasmus Dahlin unavailable after dealing with back spasms on Tuesday, the Sabres featured new first and third defense pairings – Jacob Bryson joined Bowen Byram on the top duo, while Dennis Gilbert re-entered the lineup and skated alongside Connor Clifton.

Gilbert and Clifton rose to the occasion in 6:48 of 5-on-5 ice time together, allowing zero scoring chances while helping Buffalo generate six. Both blueliners got involved physically as well, with Gilbert fighting 6-foot-7 Logan Stanley and Clifton plastering Cole Perfetti into the boards with a firm body check.

As a team, the Sabres minimized the defensive lapses that plagued them Tuesday versus Colorado and made life easier for their netminder.

“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.”

Ruff, while acknowledging improvement over Tuesday, identified net-front security as an area in need of improvement.

“We weren’t strong enough on that first goal,” Ruff said. “[Vilardi] should have never gotten to the front of the net, and that’s the area of the game we’re working on as a group. We can’t give up opportunities where they undercut us, get to the net front. And we can’t give up second opportunities, which can go uncontested like the other night.”

5. Thursday marked Ruff’s 1,800th game as an NHL head coach. He becomes the fourth coach to reach the milestone, joining Scotty Bowman (2,141 games), Paul Maurice (1,875 and counting) and Barry Trotz (1,812).

Those 1,800 games include 1,191 with Buffalo, 328 with Dallas and 281 with New Jersey.

Up next

The Sabres continue their homestand with a Saturday matinee against the Utah Hockey Club.

Puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. with coverage on MSG beginning at 12:30.