Patrik Laine injured, Jets blow 2-goal lead against Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres used a big third period to slip past the Winnipeg Jets.

Brian Gionta scored Buffalo's third goal in a span of 4:46 of the third period and the Sabres overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat the Jets 4-3.

The Jets lost after winning the first two on a three-game trip. They also lost leading scorer Patrik Laine in the third period.

The NHL's rookie points leader entering the day was escorted to the dressing room after taking an open-ice hit from Buffalo's Jake McCabe 13 seconds after the Sabres tied the game.

Laine was looking down at the puck when McCabe hit him with his left shoulder. McCabe was not penalized for the hit. Laine appeared to hit the back of his head on the ice as he fell and was down for several minutes before being helped to his feet.

'Straight-on hit' 

Jets coach Paul Maurice had no update on Laine's condition after the game.

"I don't have a problem with the hit," Maurice said. "They hit heads. It was a straight-on hit."

McCabe had a small cut under his eye after the game that he said came from the hit.

Mark Scheifele immediately went after McCabe, leading to a brawl involving all of the skaters on the ice except Laine. Scheifele was penalized for roughing.

After the final horn, Sabres goalie Robin Lehner got involved in a 6-on-6 fight in front of the Buffalo net.

"It's a spark for us, but it also gets their team off their game," Gionta said. "They are running around trying to avenge the hit, obviously, to a big player on their team. That's where a lot of the momentum comes from."

Ryan O'Reilly added a goal and an assist for Buffalo and has four points in two games since returning from an appendectomy. Marcus Foligno and Zemgus Girgensons had third-period goals and Lehner made 32 saves.

Buffalo has won two of three.

"It has the feel of a turnaround game," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. "It's a big way to respond in the third period and we left it all out there."

Timid start 

Nikolaj Ehlers, Drew Stafford and Joel Armia scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 32 shots.

"I definitely felt like we were in control for a majority of the game," Stafford said. "It's just the way the ebbs and flows of this game go sometimes."

Having given up a lead late in the third period of Tuesday's 4-3 loss in Chicago and getting booed off the ice at the end of the second period Saturday, the Sabres were energized in the third.

The Sabres had a 16-5 advantage in shots on goal in the third after getting outshot 30-20 by the Jets over the first two periods.

"We came out a little timid to start the game," Gionta said. "We knew we weren't playing good. We knew we had a lot more to give."​