The Winnipeg Jets remain perfect on home ice in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Jets came from behind to beat the Nashville Predators 7-4 Tuesday night in Game 3 of their second round Stanley Cup Playoff series. The Jets now lead the series two games to one.
The visitors jumped all over the Jets in the first period, scoring three times, including a powerplay goal from P.K. Subban, who was showered with boos all night by the Winnipeg fans.
The Jets responded in the second period with four goals of their own, three of which came within the first six minutes of the period. After Paul Stastny got the Jets on the board, Dustin Byfuglien and Jacob Trouba scored 18 seconds apart to square the game at 3-3. Byfuglien would put the Jets ahead when he scored his second of the game in the final minute of the period.
Nashville sniper Filip Forsberg tied the game at 4-4 in the third period, but Jets captain Blake Wheeler went on to score the game winning goal on the powerplay with 4:49 remaining in the game and with Subban in the penalty box.
The Jets then added two empty net goals.
“It’s definitely not how you draw up a first period but nobody panicked,” said defenceman Jacob Trouba following the game. “We did a good job in the room in between the first and second and just kind of regrouped.”
Byfuglien, who now has three goals in the playoffs, pointed to the team’s resilience.
“We got down, we didn’t quit believing in ourselves and we just continued to work and we got through it,” Byfuglien said.
Wheeler emphasized the role that the fans played, with a raucous crowd inside the rink and thousands more gathered on the streets outside.
“Our fans are huge,” Wheeler said. “It’s real too. Our crowd noise is from our crowd, it’s not from speakers or from music or from live bands or whatever. That’s people making noise and that goes right through your body.”
“They’re cheering for you and our team gets rolling downhill like that, it creates a ton of momentum for us,” Wheeler added.
Wheeler and Byfuglien now have 10 points each in the playoffs. Mark Scheifele, who had a pair of assists in the third period, continues to lead the team with 12 points.
The two teams have now combined for 25 goals in the first three games of the series.
“I think we’re all mentally prepared that there’s going to be no safe lead, there’s going to be no time to take your foot off the gas, there’s no time to sit and hold the game, both teams are too powerful,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice.
The Jets have not lost a game at home since Feb. 27, when Nashville beat them 6-5. The Jets are now 4-0 at home in the playoffs.
Game 4 goes Thursday night at Bell MTS Place with puck-drop scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT.