In a season when the Winnipeg Jets have teetered on the playoff bubble searching for their defining moment, perhaps Friday night provided it.
But it wasn’t the one supporters of the franchise would have hoped for.
Two solid periods by the Jets bookmarked a disastrous second frame in which they fell behind to the Boston Bruins – a hole they would climb out of, only to be kicked back in – and were handed a crushing 4-2 loss at Canada Life Centre.
After a goalless first period, the Jets failed to muster a single shot on goal in the first 12 minutes of the second stanza. They ended up being outshot 22-4 in the period where the Jets surrendered the only two goals.
Winnipeg would erase a two-goal deficit with a pair of goals in the first four minutes of the third period, but a power play goal by Taylor Hall was the dagger with less than five minutes remaining.
“We knew in the second period that they were going to be a lot more direct,” said interim head coach Dave Lowry. “And they got pucks to the goal line and we spent a lot of time defending. You look at shots, you look at opportunities, we spent too much time in our zone in the second period.
“But I’ll tell you what, I liked the way that we came out and played the third and the push that we got and the execution that we had, and the opportunities we created.”
“That’s been the story a little too often for us is we turn pucks over at lines,” said Jets forward Adam Lowry. “We’re not direct and we play pretty slow I think. We kinda fed into their game and you spot a team like the Bruins a two-goal lead – it’s tough to come back.
“Fortunately for us Helly (Connor Hellebuyck) kinda held us in the game. He gave us a chance to come back in the third period.”
The Bruins scored the game winner on the power play after Brenden Dillon took a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass.
“Definitely frustrating,” said Jets forward Adam Lowry. “It’s one of those ones it’s in the rule book. And the puck rolls up on you. There’s not a whole lot you can do. It would have been nice for us to be able to get the kill for Dilly, and unfortunately that was the difference tonight.”
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The Jets (28-24-10) remain four points behind Vegas for the final Western Conference playoff spot, but have a game in hand.
Both Kyle Connor’s five-game goal streak, and Blake Wheeler’s five-game point streak were halted on Friday. So was the Jets short two-game win streak. They haven’t won three in a row since back in early January.
The game probably would have looked very different if Nikolaj Ehlers would have managed to score on his penalty shot with the game still scoreless in the first period.
“I haven’t taken a penalty shot in what, five, six years,” Ehlers said. “You try different things, five-hole – I’ve been pretty lucky with those in my career. So, I thought I’d give it a shot, but I was too slow in my movement before the shot.”
The Jets were unable to capitalize on a power play and the Ehlers penalty shot in the first period, and left the ice after 20 minutes tied at zero in the goal column, but down 14-11 in shots.
Boston continued to build on late-period momentum to enter the middle stanza – punctuated by a Brad Marchand tap-in goal after a great feed from Jake DeBrusk.
Trent Frederic doubled down less than three minutes later, picking up a loose puck in front of the Jets’ net before outwaiting Hellebuyck and slipping it in behind him.
The Bruins had put 15 shots on goal before the Jets would manage their first of the period – coming with 7:24 to go.
Winnipeg would only manage four in the second period, heading into the room down two goals after 40 minutes, outshot 22-4 by Boston in the middle frame.
The Jets came out in the third period with some jump in their step and Lowry would tip a shot from Evgeny Svechnikov past Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark 2:29 in.
Ehlers followed up less than 90 seconds later with his third goal in as many games.
This time, it was the Jets scoring twice before the Bruins could muster a shot on goal.
Boston would survive more pressure from the hosts, before a pair of Winnipeg penalties – a Logan Stanley interference call and the Dillon delay-of-game – turned the tide.
Hall banged his 13th of the year in on the second power play, giving the Bruins the lead.
Erik Haula took down Andrew Copp with Winnipeg pressing late in the game, sending the Jets to a six-on-four power play.
But Josh Morrisey was tripped up while trying to keep the puck in with no penalty call, and Charlie McAvoy would ice the game into the empty net.
Hellebuyck finished the game with 35 saves on 37 shots, while Ullmark grabbed his 19th win of the year, stopping 20 of 22 shots.
Jets forward Kyle Connor led all skaters with 26:19 of time on ice.
In what could be his final game as a member of the Winnipeg Jets, Copp had no points and one shot in 13:57 of time on ice.
The Bruins improved to 38-19-5 on the season with an impressive 20-9-3 road record – and are now within two points of the Toronto Maple Leafs for third in the Atlantic Division, with one more game played.
Winnipeg is back in action on Sunday when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks.
Pre-game coverage with Kelly Moore and the panel starts on 680 CJOB at 4 p.m, with the puck dropping just after 6 p.m.
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