Highlight reel Leafs 4 / Jets 3 (SO)

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This article was published 20/10/2011 (5101 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At Air Canada Centre

Big picture

We suppose the silver lining is the Jets picked up a point on the road against one of the hottest teams of this young NHL season. But blowing a two-goal lead in the third is going to stick in some craws for awhile. Some aspects of the Jets’ game came alive — like the power play — but the penalty kill was iffy and the team had no answer when the Leafs finally began counter-punching in the third. The timekeepers put 20 minutes on the clock at the start of a period for a reason, and the Jets let down their guard for a short span in the third and it cost them. Big time.

Little picture

It could have been remembered as a night of firsts for the Jets — first power-play goal, first goal by a defenceman and first markers for Tobias Enstrom, Alex Burmistrov and rookie Mark Scheifele. All those things will serve the team well as they head into Ottawa today, but are small consolation in the standings.

Game-breaker

The Jets are up 3-1 with less than 13 minutes left in the game when Joffrey Lupul scores on the power play — the puck deflecting off Enstrom’s stick past Ondrej Pavelec — to cut the lead down to one. Just 14 seconds later Derek Meech is sent to the box for tripping and the Leafs tie the game 13 seconds later. In the span of 27 seconds the Jets were sent reeling and it was all they could muster for the rest of the game and into OT to at least grab a point.

Free Press ★★★

★ Phil Kessel, Toronto: Scored twice — he now has seven this season — and had the crowd buzzing and the Jets anxious every time he jumped onto the ice.

★★ Joffrey Lupul, Toronto: He works so well with Kessel on the Leafs’ top line. A difference maker tho scored twice and in the shootout.

★★★ Tobias Enstrom, Jets: Solid, smart game from the Jets’ blue-liner.

— Tait

SUMMARY

First Period

1. Winnipeg, Enstrom 1 (Little, Byfuglien) 9:49 (pp)

2. Toronto, Lupul 3 (Kessel, Bozak) 11:39

Penalties — Little Wpg (unsportsmanlike conduct) 5:47, Schenn Tor (hooking) 8:24.

Second Period

3. Winnipeg, Burmistrov 1 (Antropov, Wellwood) 2:27

4. Winnipeg, Scheifele 1 (Byfuglien, MacLean) 7:53 (pp)

Penalties — Komisarek Tor (interference) 3:13, Komisarek Tor (holding) 6:48, Meech Wpg (hooking) 13:20.

Third Period

5. Toronto, Lupul 4 (Liles, Kessel) 7:28 (pp)

6. Toronto, Kessel 7 (Phaneuf, Liles) 7:55 (pp)

Penalties — Bogosian Wpg (interference) 6:44, Meech Wpg (tripping) 7:42, Kessel Tor (slashing) 10:54.

Overtime

No Scoring.

Penalties — None.

Shootout

(Toronto wins 2-0)

Toronto (2) — Kessel, miss; Lupul, goal; Frattin, goal; Winnipeg (O) — Wellwood, miss; Burmistrov, miss.

Shots on goal by

Winnipeg 9 6 11 3 — 29

Toronto 6 6 10 1 — 23

Goal — Winnipeg: Pavelec (SOL,1-2-1); Toronto: Reimer (W,4-0-1).

Power plays (goals-chances) — Winnipeg: 2-4; Toronto: 2-4.

Referees — Frederick L’Ecuyer, Don VanMassenhoven. Linesmen — Brad Lazarowich, Jean Morin.

Attendance — 19,514 (18,819).