WINNIPEG – It wasn’t very pretty but the Winnipeg Jets will take points anyway they can get them.
The Jets extended their home point streak to a sixth straight game with a 3-2 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at Bell MTS Place. The Jets have won three straight games for the third time this season and now have at least a point in 12 of their last 13 games overall.
The Jets admittedly weren’t at their best but clawed back from an early two goal deficit after surrendering a pair of goals in the first five minutes.
“We got to play better.” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said.
“We’re going to remain positive in here. We did a good job, but we can play better. So I think that’s a real positive thing. Even the nights you don’t have it, your goaltender plays great. You got guys stepping up putting their face in front of pucks.”
The Jets had some timely saves from Connor Hellebuyck who stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced. Mark Scheifele scored the tying goal with just 49 seconds left in the third period and Mathieu Perreault scored in his first game back from injury. After missing the previous 12 games with a lower body injury he logged 10:45 of ice time, with almost half of that coming on the powerplay.
“We stuck with it.” Perreault said. “I think in the first they had a couple of bang-bang plays. They scored, we missed a couple chances but we came in after the first and we told ourselves, get one in the second and one in the third and we have a tie game and we did just that.”
The Flyers had goals from Jakub Voracek and Sean Couturier. Winnipeg’s Nolan Patrick played in his first NHL game in his hometown. After missing the past couple weeks with a concussion Patrick returned to the Flyers’ lineup but was held pointless and without a shot in just under eight minutes of ice time. Manitoban’s Travis Sanheim and Dale Weise also dressed for the Flyers against the Jets.
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The Flyers pounced just over two minutes into the hockey game. Hellebuyck kicked out the original shot right to Voracek. He knocked in the loose puck for his fifth goal of the season and the Flyers had an early lead.
Philadelphia went on the powerplay just minutes later. Voracek spotted Wayne Simmonds at the side of the net for the one-timer but it was stopped by Hellebuyck. The puck squirted right to Couturier and he slammed the puck in for the Flyers’ second goal. It was Couturier’s 11th goal already this season.
Radko Gudas was ejected from the game in the first period. Gudas came down with a two-handed chop to the back of Perreault’s neck while he was on the ice. Gudas was assessed a five minute major penalty for slashing and a game misconduct. But the Jets failed to capitalize on the ensuing man advantage.
The shots were 10 apiece in the opening 20 minutes.
The Jets finally broke through on the powerplay with under seven minutes remaining in the middle stanza. Joel Armia threaded a pass in front for Perreault and he tucked the puck through the legs of Brian Elliott. Tyler Myers also picked up an assist on Perreault’s second goal of the campaign.
The Jets pulled their goalie and with just 49 seconds left in regulation Blake Wheeler found Scheifele in the slot, and he buried the shot for the equalizer. Patrik Laine had the other assist as the game headed to overtime.
There was no scoring in the extra period and the shootout was tied after three shooters. But the Jets’ fourth shooter Bryan Little scored to give them the upper hand, and then Hellebuyck denied Travis Konecny to secure the two points.
Shawn Matthias was a healthy scratch for the first time this season as he joined Marko Dano and Ben Chiarot up in the press box.
The Jets will conclude their three game homestand on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils at Bell MTS Place.
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