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Jets try to put loss behind them

By: Ed Tait

Posted: 02/22/2012 12:25 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

The Jets' Jim Slater (centre) angles in front of the Flyers' Claude Giroux (right) and goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov during second-period action in Winnipeg Tuesday. (TREVOR HAGAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

There really is no other option for the Winnipeg Jets but to soldier on and put Tuesday’s crushing overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the rear-view mirror.

Of course, sometimes that’s easier said than done -- especially after giving up the tying goal with 9.7 seconds left and the winner with 43 seconds remaining while spoiling a spectacular 50-save effort by netminder Ondrej Pavelec.

Those kind of losses can often leave an emotional scar or two.

"It wasn’t be best sleep I ever had but today’s a new day and you gotta move forward," said captain Andrew Ladd Wednesday morning, just prior to an optional skate that featured eight players. "It’s tough to get a good night’s sleep because your mind is racing and you think about the things you could have done better and how you could have helped out a little bit more.

"But I think we have a good attitude in here today. We just don’t have time to dwell on it."

The Jets are right back at it Thursday night at MTS Centre against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.m.) as they attempt to lock down a playoff spot. Heading into Wednesday’s action, Winnipeg has 65 points on a 29-26-7 record – the same as the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Panthers have played four fewer games than the Jets; the Leafs two.

"There’s a lot of good things we did in the game," said Chris Thorburn. "I know we got scored late in the game to send it into overtime. But what Pavelec did, our goaltending duo has been going all year… our power play is going good (has scored on its last five opportunities)… there’s also some stuff we can clean up.

"We move on. We got a point, we should have got two, but we move on. We’ve got a Tampa Bay team coming here that we need to beat. We need to refocus here."

Defenceman Zach Bogosian again skated before his teammates as he attempts to recover from an injury. His status will likely be determined if he skates with the team Thursday morning. Head coach Claude Noel did not speak to the media on Wednesday.

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait

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