Jets drop fourth in a row in overtime

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This article was published 13/03/2017 (3165 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NASHVILLE — In another time and another place, picking up a hard-fought point in a hostile Central Division building could be looked at as something approaching a victory for these Winnipeg Jets.

But these are not those times and not that place in a lost season that is now more about pride than points for the Jets.

With the playoffs only still a mathematical possibility at this point, the message from the Jets dressing room coming in here Monday night was all about playing the right way the rest of the way and giving this franchise something to build on.

But talk is cheap and what emerged here on the ice in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena Monday night looked a whole lot like a Jets team that is still very much playing the wrong way, with porous defence, shaky goaltending and too many costly penalties.

The Jets scored goals on this night, sure, including a pair in the first 12 minutes that gave them a 2-0 lead. But scoring goals has never been the problem for these Jets, who ranked ninth in the NHL in that category coming into Monday night.

In a game that was a buffet of lousy defence, odd-man rushes and questionable goaltending on both sides, the Predators were simply the less bad of the two Central Division rivals on this night.

And so after losing three in a row at home last week and seeing whatever slim playoff hopes they still harboured all but extinguished, this embattled Jets team has now started a three-game road trip with a fourth straight loss and look to be in very real danger of entering a tailspin from which they may never recover.

How Did That Go?

The Jets stormed out to a 2-0 lead on first period goals from Blake Wheeler and Dustin Byfuglien, but surrendered the lead as quickly as they earned it and the game was tied 2-2 by the end of the period.

Filip Forsberg’s 28th of the season just 19 seconds into the second period gave Nashville a 3-2 lead and all the momentum.

But just when it was looking like the Jets had rolled over, rookie phenom Patrik Laine answered for Winnipeg, banking a blast off the post and behind Predators netminder Pekka Rinne, who had a tough night but couldn’t be faulted for not seeing Laine’s laser, much less stopping it.

It was Laine’s 33rd goal and 60th point of the season.

Calder Trophy rival Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs has 31 goals and 55 points, playing in five more games than Laine.

Joel Armia added his eighth goal of the season before the second period was over to give the Jets the lead back, but Nashville’s Ryan Johansen tied the score yet again four minutes into the third.

And that set the stage for the Predators overtime winner.

With Byfuglien serving a hooking penalty — his league-leading 37th minor — Predators forward James Neal beat Hellebuyck at 2:11 of overtime to give Nashville the win.

What about Hellebuyck?

Making his 14th consecutive start in net, Hellebuyck turned away 38 shots, but it was the five he let in that were all that mattered in this game.

Hellebuyck wasn’t the only problem on this night — there was plenty of blame to go around — but the Jets goaltender continues to go down too early, too often and frequently for no reason at all. And the Predators, like seemingly every team in the NHL these days, exploited it, beating the Jets goalie up high all night long.

About Those Special Teams

The Jets power-play struck early in this one as Wheeler beat Rinne on a shot from the blue line just 3:40 into the game to give Winnipeg a 1-0 lead. Winnipeg finished the night 1-1 on the power-play.

But a Jets penalty-killing unit that came into the game ranked 28th in the league — and which had given up five goals in the last two games — was once again their undoing, finishing the night 1-3 and giving up the overtime winner.

Up Next

The Jets were scheduled to fly immediately following the Nashville game to Newark, where they are scheduled to play the New Jersey Devils Tuesday night as a blizzard that began Monday is expected to batter the New York and New Jersey area throughout the day and evening on Tuesday.

email: paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek