The Buffalo Sabres had a sleepy start to the game which is never a good idea against a team like the Winnipeg Jets. Brendan Guhle made his presence know early in the game, but not in a good way. He went off for hooking Joel Armia just 4:47 into the game.
The second-ranked power play in the league took the ice and capitalized to score the first goal of the game. Snipe Patrik Laine beat Robin Lehner with a shot from the faceoff dot, with Kyle Connor providing the screen in front.