Wild take Jets 4-3 after second-period domination

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This article was published 15/10/2016 (3262 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Winnipeg Jets fall 4-3 to the Minnesota Wild after a poor showing in the second frame.

First peiod

Nikolaj Ehlers and Blake Wheeler scored late in the first period to give the Winnipeg Jets a 2-0 lead over the Minnesota Wild after 20 minutes.

Goaltender Michael Hutchinson was crucial to Winnipeg’s lead, stopping three quality Wild scoring chances and getting the benefit of Mikael Grandlund hitting a post on another opportunity.

The Wild had a 10-9 edge in shots after the first period.

Second Period

Matt Dumba, Eric Staal and Chris Stewart rallied the Minnesota Wild from a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead over the Winnipeg Jets in NHL action Saturday night.

The Jets managed only two shots in the middle period, including one shot from centre ice. The Wild mustered 11 shots on Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson for a game total of 22.

Third period

Jonas Brodin netted an unassisted goal for the Wild making it 4-2.

Mark Scheifele found the back of the Wild net with 20 seconds left in the game, but it wasn’t enough to rally the Jets.

About the Wild

Minnesota hosts Winnipeg with the sole purpose of evening its record after opening the 2016-17 regular season with a 3-2 road loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. Defenceman Ryan Suter and right-winger Charlie Coyle scored for the Wild.

The Wild signed veteran centre Eric Staal to a three-year, US$10.5-million deal during the off-season and he’s on the top trio with Coyle and left-winger Zach Parise. The Central Division squad has a solid second unit, with Mikku Koivu between wingers Jason Pominville and Mikael Granlund.

The Wild hope Teemu Pulkkinen‘s success in the American Hockey League can translate to the big-league level. The club claimed the 24-year-old left-winger off waivers from Detroit earlier this week. The Finnish forward had two 30-goal seasons for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.

Lineups

MINNESOTA WILD

40 Devan Dubnyk G

35 Darcy Kuemper G

3 Charlie Coyle RW

4 Mike Reilly D

5 Christian Folin D

6 Marco Scandella D

7 Chris Stewart RW

9 Mikko Koivu C

11 Zach Parise LW

12 Eric Staal C

16 Jason Zucker LW

17 Teemu Pulkkinen RW

20 Ryan Suter D

22 Nino Niederreiter LW

24 Matt Dumba D

25 Jonas Brodin D

27 Zac Dalpe C

28 Victor Bartley D

29 Jason Pominville RW

39 Nate Prosser D

46 Scott Spurgeon D

56 Erik Haula C

64 Mikael Granlund LW

WINNIPEG JETS

34 Michael Hutchinson G

37 Connor Hellebuyck G

4 Paul Postma D

5 Mark Stuart D

7 Ben Chiarot D

12 Drew Stafford RW

13 Brandon Tanev LW

16 Shawn Matthias LW

17 Adam Lowry C

22 Chris Thorburn RW

26 Blake Wheeler RW

27 Nikolaj Ehlers LW

29 Patrik Laine RW

33 Dustin Byfuglien D

39 Toby Enstrom D

40 Joel Armia RW

44 Josh Morrissey D

55 Mark Scheifele C

57 Tyler Myers D

81 Kyle Connor LW

85 Mathieu Perreault C

91 Alex Burmistrov C

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14