WINNIPEG – A disastrous second period spelled the end of the Winnipeg Jets winning ways.
The Columbus Blue Jackets scored four times in the middle frame as the Jets three game winning streak came to a screeching halt with a 5-2 loss on Tuesday at Bell MTS Place.
Cam Atkinson, Nick Foligno, Jack Johnson, Lukas Sedlack and Zach Werenski all scored goals to lead the way for Columbus.
“There’s a handful of nights, a small number that you think you deserve a better fate or you got lucky, but for the most part you get what you earned and we earned that one.” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said.
In his first game back in the NHL after Monday’s recall from the AHL, Kyle Connor scored once, while Joel Armia added another marker for the Jets in the loss.
The Jets lacked energy throughout the contest and seemed to really struggle with the Blue Jackets strong forecheck.
“We were just slower than them.” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “They were just quicker than us all over the rink, beat us to a lot of pucks. They were on us all night and we just couldn’t get back quick enough to help our D (defense) out and get anything clean out of the zone. Just a lot of punch outs trying to chase the puck down and it makes for a long night.”
After backing up Connor Hellebuyck for the last three games, goalie Steve Mason allowed five goals on 39 shots as he suffered his third consecutive defeat in just his third start of the season.
“I think it got away from us there in the second period.” Mason said. “Anytime you give up four in one period, it’s usually not a good sign, so it wasn’t good.”
“Through the first period I think Mase (Mason) made some big saves and kept that one closer than it was in the first.” Josh Morrissey said. “We just never got it going in the second, a couple mistakes obviously kinda leaving Steve out to dry. We just weren’t right tonight, we weren’t at the same level we’ve been at the last three nights.”
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For the most part the Blue Jackets controlled the play in the first stanza, but it was the Jets who had the better scoring opportunities in a scoreless opening period. Columbus outshot Winnipeg 11-8 in the first 20 minutes.
Just 36 seconds into the middle frame the Blue Jackets opened the scoring. Nikolaj Ehlers was stripped of the puck at the blueline and Artemi Panarin sent Atkinson in on the breakaway and he outmanouvered Mason for his third goal of the season. Columbus had a one goal lead.
The Jackets came within a hair of going ahead by two just minutes later. There was a mad scramble surrounding the Jets net. Mason made one stop before Pierre-Luc Dubois clanged the puck off the crossbar. Play continued and Mason was forced to make another big stop to keep the Jets within one.
Midway through the second the Jackets added to their lead. Wheeler handed the puck right to Foligno at his own blueline and Foligno danced around Mason before tucking it in for a magnificent goal. Columbus had some breathing room ahead by two.
Just a few minutes later the Jets broke through after Maurice shuffled his top two lines. Mark Scheifele sent a backhand in front for Connor and he buried the one-timer behind Joonas Korpisalo. Connor with his first NHL goal of the season after Monday’s callup from the Manitoba Moose. Wheeler had the other assist and it was a 2-1 game.
The Blue Jackets immediately restored the two goal lead though. Brandon Dubinsky with a cross ice pass spotted a wide open Johnson and he hammered the shot into the open side. His first goal of the season gave Columbus a 3-1 advantage. Josh Anderson had the other helper and it was 3-1.
With just 1:49 remaining in the middle frame, Dubois came in hard on the forecheck and forced Toby Enstrom to cough up the puck. From behind the goal line Sedlak banked in the puck off Mason for his second tally of the campaign and the Blue Jackets headed to the room ahead 4-1.
The Blue Jackets tacked on one more in the final frame. Werenski skated down the wing and picked the top corner on Mason for his third goal of the season. Seth Jones and Brandon’s Matt Calvert had the assists.
Armia made the score look a little more respectable as he notched his first goal of the season shorthanded with 1:37 remaining to make it a 5-2 final. Dustin Byfuglien drew the only assist.
The Jets were outshot 39-26.
Mathieu Perreault, Adam Lowry, and Matt Hendricks missed the game with injuries while Brendan Lemieux and Ben Chiarot were healthy scratches.
The Jets conclude their three game homestand on Friday against the Minnesota Wild at Bell MTS Place.
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