Connor Hellebuyck is going to have to wait to pick up his milestone 300th career victory.
Troy Terry scored his second of the night in overtime as the Ducks took down the Jets 4-3 for their first win in Winnipeg since Jan. 23, 2017.
The Jets’ top line wasted no time in putting up some run support for their star goalie, lighting the lamp just 33 seconds into the game.
Gabriel Vilardi won a puck battle in the corner, taking it away from Radko Gudas before sending it in front to Kyle Connor. He took the puck around the crease, drawing the attention of John Gibson before sliding it back in front to Mark Scheifele for a tap-in.
It stayed 1-0 for most of the period before Winnipeg’s captain doubled their lead. Alex Iafallo collected the puck in the neutral zone and carried it into Anaheim’s end before sending a perfect saucer pass to a streaking Adam Lowry, who chipped it over Gibson to make it 2-0 with 2:43 left in the first.
Anaheim did not go quietly into the intermission, however, getting on the board with 1:02 left. A point shot from Gudas was tipped en route to the net by Leo Carlsson, causing the shot to bounce into the post, off Hellebuyck and into the net.
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The Ducks outshot the Jets 10-7 in the first 20 minutes and would draw level 6:52 into the second.
Ryan Strome emerged from a board battle with the puck and skated towards the slot in Winnipeg’s end before feeding Troy Terry by the left faceoff dot. His one-timer slid through the five-hole of Hellebuyck as he tried to slide into position to stop the shot, tying the game 2-2.
Winnipeg earned the game’s first power play with 8:06 to go in the second when Strome was called for tripping Scheifele near the Anaheim net but the Jets couldn’t cash in.
With 2:32 left, Strome was again penalized, this time for cross-checking Scheifele when he had a good scoring chance in front of the net but once again, Winnipeg’s top-ranked power play could not get the job done as the game remained tied 2-2 after 40 minutes.
The Jets outshot the Ducks 12-4 in the second but couldn’t find the back of the net.
The deadlock remained deep into the third before the Jets jumped back in front with 2:44 remaining. After an extended shift in the offensive end, Iafallo located the loose puck at one side of the net, drove behind the net and beat Gibson with a wraparound to make it 3-2.
The lead didn’t last long.
Moments after Anaheim pulled the goalie for an extra attacker, Gudas blasted a shot from the point that found its way past a screened Hellebuyck to make it 3-3 with 1:50 to go, sending the game to overtime.
Nikolaj Ehlers had a great chance to end the game when he picked off a pass near the Anaheim blueline but he was denied on the breakaway by Gibson.
That proved to be a big stop because not long after, the Ducks were able to end it themselves.
The play began in the Anaheim end when Cole Perfetti drove the net and stumbled into it, knocking it off its moorings but the Ducks got possession of the puck, meaning play would continue until Winnipeg touched it.
Terry skated the puck up the left side on an lengthy 2-on-1 with Jackson Lacombe, holding the puck as he drifted into the Winnipeg end. As he made it to the faceoff dot to Hellebuyck’s right, Terry ripped a wrister past the Jets’ netminder to seal the win. Gibson picked up his seventh career assist on the game winner.
The loss snapped a six-start win streak for Hellebuyck, though with the single point the Jets are now 9-0-2 in his last 11 starts dating back to a Dec. 3 loss to the Blues. It’s also the first time since a 5-0 loss in Florida Nov. 16 that Hellebuyck allowed more than three goals.
The Jets will look to get back in the win column Saturday when they host the Detroit Red Wings. Action begins just after 6 p.m. with pregame coverage on 680 CJOB beginning at 4 p.m.
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