Jets double their pleasure on road

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This article was published 04/12/2016 (3206 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO — To suggest the Jets needed it would be a gross understatement. To think they could actually pull it off, to beat the Central Division’s two best teams on back-to-back nights while on the road, well, that may have left many of your closest friends and family quietly working on getting you some much-needed help.

Indeed, believing the Jets, a team that before the weekend had won just three of 13 games away from the MTS Centre this season would finally hit their groove against two of the heaviest hitters in the NHL seemed unthinkable.

Winnipeg, with their backs against the wall, did just that, capping off the two-day trip with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks Sunday at the United Center. It was the second gutsy performance by the Jets in as many days, with Sunday’s victory a follow-up to Saturday’s 3-2 overtime win over the St. Louis Blues in what was arguably the team’s best game of the season.

“It’s meaningful in that we understand what we did well, the mental approach to the game, the effort level again, our shift length, the intensity of our shifts,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice after the game, his team now back to .500 with a record of 13-13-3. “We can bring that back with us.”

With a lineup infused with youth but crippled by injuries — the Jets were missing six roster players, including leading scorer Mark Scheifele for the second straight game — to think they would be able to beat a pair of teams that were seemingly invincible at home this year, losing a combined six of 27 games on home ice and only two in regulation, was far-fetched.

But if the Jets have been anything this season, it’s unpredictable. Now, the hope is the two wins this weekend will inject some much-needed confidence and stability into the locker room and give them some elbow room as they attempt to get back into the playoff picture.

“If you lose those two games you are in a pretty deep hole,” said Jets winger Mathieu Perreault. “We played these games really hard, we made sure these guys knew what were the stakes here in the room.”

Though impressive, Sunday night was far from pretty. It was the kind of outing one would have expected from two tired teams on the back end of consecutive games on consecutive nights.

The Jets, with their tanks near empty after pushing the Blues to extra time and the Blackhawks, who have battled their own share of adversity this week — including the loss of captain Jonathan Toews to a lower-body injury and starting goaltender Corey Crawford to an appendectomy — returning home the day after a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, both looked sluggish to start.

Neither team looked eager to take a lead early, resulting in a scoreless bout through the first 20 minutes. The Jets carried a slight edge in the opening frame, limiting the Blackhawks to just three shots, although they hardly looked threatening with the eight they directed the other way.

When they needed to find a way — and a goal — they did.

“Both were hard-fought games and both were pretty stressful right up until the end, especially tonight,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “I thought we did a great job playing the way we wanted to tonight. They obviously had stretches where they put pressure on us and had their chances but with that kind of team you’re going to get that – but overall I thought we did a great job being ready to play.”

It would take nearly 40 minutes for momentum to turn in Winnipeg’s favour. The Jets, unable to beat Scott Darling, the backup goalie who was by far the best player for Chicago on the night, whiffed on two breakaways in the second frame — the first from Nikolaj Ehlers, who was sprung in alone by rookie Patrik Laine; the other, a strong play from Marko Dano that had Adam Lowry seeing only goalie from the opponent’s blue line — finally made good on a late power-play goal from Little.

Little, in just his fourth game back from a 23-game absence from injury, tipped home a pass from Dustin Byfuglien to put the Jets up 1-0.

The Hawks, desperately pressing for the equalizer, eventually tied the game 1-1 in dramatic fashion in the third period with a goal from Artemi Panarin. The play began with Andrew Copp driving in from the right side and ripping a shot off the crossbar. The puck caromed off the boards and started a break up ice for the Hawks, a sequence which ended with Patrick Kane finding Panarin for his 10th goal of the season.

Copp would have his revenge, however, taking a Dano pass off the boards shortly after before beating Darling blocker-side to give the Jets the lead for good.

“The first one was a heavy, heavy crossbar and then they come down and make a perfect play so I kind of redeemed myself I guess,” said Copp. “I thought I played a strong game and I’m happy to get that winner for sure.”

Connor Hellebuyck, who returned to the Jets net after being pulled in a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers Thursday, would bail the Jets out the rest of the way. Not overly busy on the night, Hellebuyck earned his keep after Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba took a four-minute high-sticking penalty with less than three minutes to go in the game.

The Blackhawks pulled their goalie to go up two men and for the final minutes sent a barrage of shots at the second-year netminder, with Hellebuyck standing

“When you get fatigued you’ve got to use your mind,” said Hellebuyck. “That’s the first thing you need to focus on is tracking the puck.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jeffkhamilton