Jets fall in shootout to end pre-season

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This article was published 01/10/2017 (2904 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY – With a seemingly never-ending pre-season on the final stretch, the Winnipeg Jets provided an exciting close in the finale, losing to the Calgary Flames 3-2 in a shootout at the Saddledome Saturday night.

While Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine and Nic Petan were all unable to beat Flames netminder Mike Smith, Calgary needed just two shooters to finish it off, with Sean Monahan beating Jets goalie Steve Mason with a tricky fake to the forehand after Matthew Tkachuk was turned aside in the first round.

After starting the pre-season with four consecutive losses, the Jets rallied with consecutive wins before Saturday’s loss, finishing the exhibition season 2-3-2. The Jets also battled the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 shootout loss to open the pre-season.

For some, the game provided one final tune-up before the NHL starts in earnest next week, with the Jets opening the 2017-18 regular season at home against Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 4. For others, particularly a number of forwards vying for spots in the bottom six, it meant much more that just dusting off any lasting rust, acting instead as a final audition to prove they can play at the game’s highest level.

But while many anticipated strong efforts from the likes of bubble players such as Petan, Connor, JC Lipon, Marko Dano and Brandon Tanev, it was a much more familiar face driving the excitement for the Jets on this night.

Laine, the Jets’ superstar winger, scored twice for the visitors, giving him five goals and eight points in four pre-season games. It is a small sample size, but it does serve as a promising sign that the 19-year-old is primed to not only duplicate his 36-goal performance as a rookie last season, but possibly surpass it.

If anything, it will be sure to provide plenty of juicy storylines heading into Wednesday’s game against the Maple Leafs, which was already set to be a spirited affair between Laine and Matthews. Matthews edged Laine for rookie of the year honours last season, dominating him in votes for the Calder Trophy after a performance that saw him lead all first-year players with 40 goals and 69 points.

It is, of course, a fool’s game to make any kind of predictions at this point. What happens in the exhibition season is hardly an indicator of what will unfold once the real games begin. And when they do, the Jets will still have plenty of questions to ask themselves as management continues what has been a gruelling process of trimming down the roster. The Jets are expected make moves as early as today.

One of the biggest concerns heading into the off-season was whether the Jets could compete in a competitive Central Division without a seasoned goaltender to provide them with a consistent effort in the crease. Or at least use as a safety blanket for the inevitable breakdowns in the defensive zone that have come to help define the Jets in recent years.

Whether one thinks Steve Mason — the man the Jets signed to a two-year, US$8.2-million deal in June — can fill that hole depends on what areas of his work over the last two weeks they choose to focus on. Mason, 29, played arguably his best game in a Jets uniform Saturday, allowing two goals on 33 shots before the lone goal in the shootout.

Mason surrendered the first on a two-man advantage in the dying seconds of the first period, when Kris Versteeg capped off a nifty passing play that finished with the Flames forward sliding the puck into an empty net. Mason could hardly be faulted for the goal, which almost seemed certain after Andrew Copp lay injured on the ice after blocking a blistering slapshot from Flames captain Mark Giordano just before.

The Flames would regroup near centre ice, and by the time they entered the Jets’ zone, Copp had hardly moved, squirming on the ice as Calgary set up a tic-tac-toe play to take a 1-0 lead into the second period. Copp would eventually make his way to the bench but would not return for the game, putting his status in serious doubt for next week.

The second goal for Calgary, however, was much weaker, similar to the one Mason allowed earlier in the week in a win over the Flames at home, when Tkachuk squeaked a bad-angled shot just under his glove. 

This time, with the Jets once again in the box, Mikael Backlund beat Mason by banging home a rolling puck from the left side that Mason was in position to stop. The goal put the Flames up 2-1 5:07 into the third period, on the second of back-to-back penalties to start the final frame — two of six trips to the power play for the Flames on the night.

But as was the case against the Flames on Monday, Mason was able to bounce back from the bad goal, staying sharp the rest of the way to give the Jets a shot at victory. Mason made a number of key saves down the stretch and into overtime.

On the opposite side, Smith, who stood tall with 39 saves for the win, was unbeatable for everyone but Laine on this night. Laine’s first goal came in the second period with a shot from the slot that fooled Smith high. The hockey gods would even the score later in the third by rewarding the Jets with a 5-on-3 advantage. Winnipeg eventually moved the puck around to their No.1 target, with Laine blistering home a slap shot to even the game at 2-2, setting up a wild finish.

Noteworthy:

Tucker Poolman and Toby Enstrom drew the assists on Laine’s first goal, while Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little set up the other…Tyler Myers led all Jets in ice-time with 26 minutes and 19 seconds…The Jets finished one-for-seven on the power play, while Calgary scored twice on their six trips to the man advantage…Mark Scheifele had a team-high eight shots on net…Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien, Matthieu Perreault, Adam Lowry and Matt Hendricks were all out of the lineup for the Jets.