Jets eastern road trip ends with 4-2 loss to Hurricanes

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This article was published 21/04/2022 (1234 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Jets certainly don’t need any help finding ways to lose games this season. They’ve done that plenty of times, in plenty of different ways. But the latest one — a 4-2 defeat Thursday night in Carolina — was both novel and painful.

Not to mention just a wee bit controversial.

Winnipeg product Seth Jarvis put the home team in front for good near the midway mark of the third period, pushing a loose puck past goaltender Eric Comrie who had lost his mask seconds earlier. Officials never blew the play dead, and the Jets challenged for goaltender interference. It was unsuccessful. Replays showed Brendan Smith’s point shot hit Comrie in the head and knocked his strap loose. There also appeared to be some contact between Jarvis and Comrie, possibly aided by Jets defenceman Nate Schmidt, which came just as his helmet was flying off his head.

“It sucks,” Schmidt said in a post-game Zoom call from PNC Arena. “You turn around and see Eric’s helmet come off. It’s one of those things where it happens so quickly. Just gotta do a better of getting (Jarvis’) stick. It’s one of those key points in the game you wish you could have back.”

It’s the fourth straight loss, all in regulation, on a truly miserable swing through the upper-tier of the Eastern Division. Winnipeg was outscored 20-7 by Florida, Tampa, the New York Rangers and Carolina, and now limp home with a 35-32-11 record and just four games remaining in their season.

“I think it should have been a goal,” Comrie admitted afterwards, showing himself to be the ultimate good sport.

“The puck was continuing behind me. Play continued. I mean, it didn’t put me in any danger. Just, the puck was right there. He tapped it in backdoor. It wasn’t like I was in any danger. I think (Jarvis) might have maybe hit me a little bit on the way down. But I don’t think he meant to do that, it was just a reaction to play a puck. The puck’s right there so he’s gonna continue to play it. I mean, I understand why we challenged it, it was a big goal in that situation, so we did the right thing challenging it, but I also think that they made the right call in calling it a goal.”

After getting blown out by the Panthers and Lightning, then shut out by the Rangers, the Jets were looking for at least some signs of life before they limped home. And they got it in the form of a strong opening period against the Metropolitan Division leaders.

Kyle Connor put the visitors in front at 7:10 of the first, finishing off a terrific zone entry by converting a pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois. His 44th of the year ties a Jets 2.0 record, previously held by Patrik Laine in 2017-18, for most goals in a single-season. Dubois made it 2-0 at 18:55 of the frame, matching the career-high of 27 goals he set in 2018-19 with Columbus by wiring a wrist shot past a screened Antti Raanta.

“One thing you can control as you get to these last four games of the year is your effort,” Schmidt said of his team’s first game since officially being eliminated from the playoffs. “You can control how you’re going to go out. We know where we are in the standings and we know where we’re at. But you do know that you can still show up and put yourself in a good position to win games. We’re still in the business of winning games, even though right now we’re not on that pace.”

It looked like the Jets might carry that two-goal advantage into the second intermission, but a strange sequence of officiating came back to bite them. First came a play where Dubois slashed Vincent Trocheck, with officials sending both men to the box. Carolina was incensed, and for good reason. Seconds later, what some might suggest was a “make-up call” occurred as Josh Morrissey was whistled for hooking on what looked to be a stellar defensive play.

The Hurricanes took advantage of the ensuing four-on-three advantage as Teuvo Teravainen beat a screened Comrie with 30 seconds left in the middle frame. And that appeared to give the home team the boost they needed.

Jaccob Slavin tied it at 4:10 of the third, and the Jets appeared to be running out of gas and hanging on for dear life. After Jarvis gave them the first lead — Winnipeg killed off the ensuing delay-of-game penalty that resulted — Jordan Staal iced it with an empty-netter.

Shots ended up 46-22 for Carolina, who are now 50-20-8 on the year.

Comrie made a second straight start, with No. 1 netminder Connor Hellebuyck unavailable due to a non-COVID illness. Manitoba Moose starter Mikhail Berdin dressed as the backup.

“He’s been outstanding and he’s given us an opportunity to win hockey games,” interim coach Dave Lowry said of Comrie, who stopped 73 of 78 pucks over the last two games. “He’s been very confident in the net, he’s been very poised, and that’s something that our team plays well when Eric is in the net. They are confident in the goaltender. And it’s nice to see here because this is a kid who works every day. He loves the game, he lived to play hockey and you love to see him have good games.”

The only lineup change was defenceman Dylan Samberg, a healthy scratch for the past two, replacing Logan Stanley. Forward Adam Brooks was the other extra, while Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti remain out with injuries. Winnipeg went 0-for-2 on the power play, while Carolina was 1-for-5.

“Well, I’d say it’s disappointing. These guys are professional athletes. We’re in the business to win hockey games. When you don’t win hockey games, disappointment will resonate,” Lowry said of the latest in a growing list of setbacks. “That is something that we talk about. These guys care, and that’s the biggest thing. And when you lose, you don’t like to lose. The one thing is they care, and they are going to compete right to the end.”

The Jets now close out the season with four straight on home ice, beginning Sunday with a visit from the league-leading Colorado Avalanche.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg