The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 in their third home game to improve to 15-7-1 at Canada Life Centre on Sunday afternoon. Although the Ducks had a significant lead in the first period, the Jets turned the tables in the last minutes. Saku Maenalanen, Dylan Samberg, Morgan Barron, Mark Scheifele and Nate Schmidt all contributed to the victory.
The Ducks recorded nine goals during the game’s first 10 shots and had a 2-0 lead at 5:09 into the second period. They outshot the Jets by 18-7 in the first 20 minutes and opened the scoring with 4:44 remaining in the first period when Jakon Silfverberg netted the puck off Frank Vatrano’s rebound.
Ducks winger Brett Leason took the puck after Samberg mishandled it at the blue line and scored a goal by passing through Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
With 9:29 remaining in the second period, the Jets managed to close their scoring gap against the Ducks. Barron broke the tie with a second goal after taking a pass from center Adam Lowry with 5:37 remaining in regulation. After that, 13-season veteran Scheifele drove the puck over Anaheim goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
Schmidt, who won for the 13th time in the last 18 games, overcame a 2-0 second-period hole with a late goal to improve his record to 9-3-0 at home. Maenalanen was also able to score a goal with an assist, while Samberg scored his first NHL goal for the Jets after a miscue in the first period.
The Jets won with five unanswered scores, marking Winnipeg’s eighth straight win over the Ducks in home games.
Although the Jets came out victorious, team head coach Rick Bowness wasn’t really happy with how his team made their comeback in the late minutes of the game.
“It’s just not right to start a game like that,”
Bowness said. However, he still commended Hellebuyck, who had 28 saves on 30 shots.
“Hellebuyck was outstanding for us. He did his job,”
Bowness said of Hellebuyck. “He gave us a chance to get our feet wet and get ourselves back into the game.”
Despite losing to the Jets, Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said the team had played well and praised his squad for managing to take the lead early and keeping it for most of the first period.
“The winning goal just comes off of a guy. Our defenseman got his feet tangled up with another guy and he falls. If he doesn’t fall, we’re probably right now in overtime or a shootout,”
Eakins said.
