Tonight’s scheduled game has me thinking about something called the Irresistible Force Paradigm, which poses the question of what would happen if an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? You might wonder why I am thinking about that because the Winnipeg Jets are far removed from their record setting start to the campaign and the Buffalo Sabres have struggled since dropping 5 of the first 6 games of the year. Well let me explain….I was actually thinking the opposite would be true for the Thursday night clash. Ummm…..so I guess that would be what happens when a stoppable force meets a moveable object???
Both the Winnipeg Jets & Buffalo Sabres will be entering action tonight on a season long 4 game losing streak, so someone has to win. Right? The True Northers have only managed to score 1 goal in 3 of their last 4 games, while the Sabres were limited to 7 goals in their 4 recent losses and got shutout in two of those defeats.
Despite their recent shared struggles, Winnipeg (18-8-0) still holds onto the 4th best record in the NHL, while Buffalo (11-12-2) is tied for the 6th worst point total in the league. The Jets +28 goal differential has them in 2nd behind the surprising Washington Capitals (+31) and the Sabres -2 puts them in the middle of the pack (15th).
It might be notable that Scheifele took 15 faceoffs against the Blues last game, so his return to the center spot might be coming as soon as tonight. Hopefully that means his injury is getting better. Because it is before the morning skate, PuckPedia predictions for Winnipeg & Buffalo’s line ups could be incorrect, but lets check them out anyway:


Buffalo is a team filled with a lot of talented young players, but despite that they remain a cautionary tale about how total rebuilds don’t always work out the way you want. I certainly don’t have the explanation on why they have failed to take the next step despite years of good draft positions, but I always have a soft spot for another small market NHL franchise so I hope someone figures it out eventually.
The Sabres are led by forwards Alex Tuch (23 pts) & Tage Thompson (20), while Rasmus Dahlin (19) is the team’s top scoring defenseman. The squad’s talented youth include 22 yr old JJ Peterka (17), 22 yr old Owen Power (15), 23 yr old Bowen Byram (15), & 23 yr old Dylan Cozens (11).
For the True North fans, Winnipeg’s play lately is far removed from the stellar finishing the players had to begin the campaign. The Jets have had a hard time penetrating the high danger scoring areas, resulting in a drop in shots on goal that unsurprisingly has led to a reduction in goals scored. That loss of offensive production has allowed their misplays (turnovers, missed coverages, etc) to lead to the opponent’s lighting more lamps than our squad.
To be fair, the Jets have been hurting lately due to injuries to Nikolaj Ehlers (25 pts), Dylan Samberg (team leading +12), & the still-playing Mark Scheifele (27 pts). Other key offensive contributions come from players like Kyle Connor (29 pts), Josh Morrissey (23), Neal Pionk (22), Cole Perfetti (17), Gabriel Vilardi (17), Adam Lowry (16), Vladislav Namestnikov (15), & Nino Niederreiter (15).
Lets check out how the two franchises compare head-to-head based on this season’s stats and take a peek at ESPN’s review of the masked men:


Not a whole lot jumps out to me from the stats….obviously there is a big disparity between the teams’ powerplays (30 to 14%), but otherwise the numbers aren’t that far off from each other. Goal scoring will be a key in determining who will win tonight (most obvious statement ever!!) as neither Buffalo or Winnipeg have had much success beating goaltenders lately. While that has been a year-long theme for the Sabres (tied for 17th highest total with 76 goals), it is more of a recent trend for the Jets (5th with 95 goals).
Alright, since I have left plenty of time before the 6 pm Central puck drop, I expect to see a bunch of predictions in the comment section. Hopefully a bit of love & optimism from the Arctic Ice Hockey fan base can end Winnipeg’s skid.
Personally, I expect a return of the Jets’ top forward line (Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi) and hope that will leave Brad Lambert playing right wing with Namestnikov-Perfetti. The young Finn looked okay in his season debut, but a higher level of comfort in his second will hopefully lead to some offense from the kid. I’ve done my part by putting Lambo in the Preview photo…so let’s hope BOJA’s Boost is in top form tonight!!
Go Winnipeg!!!