WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets kept it close for the first 36 minutes, but two goals by the Chicago Blackhawks just 26 seconds apart seemed to break the Jets spirit. Andrew Ladd scored in his return to Winnipeg as the Blackhawks defeated the Jets 4-0 on Friday at MTS Centre. The Hawks were winless in their previous four games. The Jets have now dropped two in a row.
“They got those two right before the end of the second period and we just kind of folded after that.” Blake Wheeler said.
The Blackhawks received goals from Ladd, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Tomas Fleischmann. Scott Darling stopped all 28 shots for his first shutout of the season.
Unhappy with the line of questioning after the game Wheeler turned to sarcasm.
“I guess we don’t belong on the same ice as those guys.” said Wheeler.
The Jets skated right with the Hawks for the better part of the first two periods but it was a completely different game in the final 20 minutes.
“Did some good things.” said Tyler Myers. “We were playing some good hockey early in the game but you got to put the puck in the net to win hockey games and we just couldn’t solve him tonight. Got behind late in the second and then those two in the third hurt us for sure.”
After exploding for five goals against the Vancouver Canucks, the Jets have just one goal in their last two games and the Hawks took advantage of the Jets turnovers.
“Anytime you turn the puck over inside your own blueline or in the neutral zone, you give a team like them some fast break opportunites, it’s gonna come back and hurt you.” Adam Lowry said.
“We started to turn the puck over in part because I thought they got quicker.” head coach Paul Maurice said. “They did get quicker and then your execution starts to look pretty poor.”
Ondrej Pavelec allowed four goals on 36 shots.
Nic Petan played in his first game with the Jets since November after four months with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. He had one shot and one hit and had several different linemates in 15:23 of icetime.
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Midway through the first period the Jets did a video tribute to Ladd on the big screen. The MTS Centre crowd gave him a loud ovation to welcome back the longtime Jets captain.
It was scoreless with five minutes left in the opening period when Pavelec made a spectacular save. He went post to post and flashed the trapper to rob Winnipeg’s Dale Weise.
It was still scoreless midway through period number two when Ben Chiarot and Andrew Shaw squared off down near the Jets goal. Both players received five minute fighting majors.
With just over three minutes left in the middle period Kane raced in on a 2-on-1 and he roofed the backhand on Pavelec. Kane’s 39th goal of the season was assisted by Michal Rozsival.
Less than a minute later Artem Anisimov danced around Toby Enstrom. He lost control of the puck but it went right to Hossa and he had the gaping net for his 12th goal of the season. The Hawks scored goals just 26 seconds apart and they took a two goal lead to the dressing room.
Early in the final frame Jonathan Toews snuck a pass in front for Ladd and he buried the one-timer behind Pavelec for his 3rd goal since joining the Hawks and 20th of the season. Chicago was in the drivers seat up by three.
Just minutes later the Hawks added to their lead. Fleischmann made a pretty move to outwit Pavelec and tucked the backhand into the wide open net. His 13th was unassisted to close out the scoring.
The Jets four game homestand continues on Sunday afternoon against the Anaheim Ducks.
WATCH: The Winnipeg Jets discuss a 4-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday
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