HIGHLIGHT REEL Jets 3 / Caps 2 (SO)

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This article was published 10/02/2012 (5290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AT THE VERIZON CENTER

 

Big picture

It was an important night for the Jets and their result. The two points pulled them to within three of the division lead, now shared by both Washington and Florida at 61 points. The Jets are also closer to the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. Their 58 points are just four back of the Toronto Maple Leafs this morning.

 

Little picture

A game that looked all but lost was snatched from the fire in the final 2:15 of regulation time. After Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin tallied on the power play for the home team, Winnipeg finally forced in a power-play goal — albeit six on three with the goalie pulled — by Evander Kane and then 12 seconds later on a great bit of luck. That was Dustin Byfuglien’s power-play shot from the neutral zone that nicked the stick of Caps’ Karl Alzner and found the net to tie it. From there, Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little scored in the shootout to give the Jets a pair of points.

 

Game-breaker

Lots of candidates but when Kane scored, breaking a personal 11-game drought, even though it was still a 2-1 deficit, there was a sense that even with only a little time left, the Jets were playing their best period of the night and might still have a shot.

Free Press ★★★

★ Alex Ovechkin, forward, Caps. Gone from league’s biggest pouter to again its dominant player this week.

 ★★ Ondrej Pavelec, goalie Jets. Couldn’t stop Ovechkin all night but was superb in this one.

 ★★★ Dustin Byfuglien, defenceman, Jets. Played 28 minutes and was a major asset, especially in the third.

 — Campbell

 

 SUMMARY

First Period

No Scoring.

Penalties — None.

Second Period

No Scoring.

Penalty — Bogosian Wpg (holding) 12:28.

Third Period

1. Washington, Ovechkin 23 (Semin, Wideman) 9:46 (pp)

2. Washington, Semin 14 (Ovechkin, Wideman) 12:30 (pp)

3. Winnipeg, Kane 19 (Ladd, Byfuglien) 17:45 (pp)

4. Winnipeg, Byfuglien 7, 17:57 (pp)

Penalties — Halpern Wash (hooking) 5:02, Enstrom Wpg (slashing) 9:36, Little Wpg (double high-sticking) 12:18, Hamrlik Wash (slashing) 15:55, Laich Wash (broken stick) 17:04.

Overtime

No Scoring.

Penalties — Byfuglien Wpg (tripping) 4:42, Glass Wpg (slashing) 5:00.

Shootout

Winnipeg wins 2-1

Winnipeg (2) — Wheeler, goal; Little, goal.

Washington (1) — Ovechkin, goal; Semin, miss; Perreault, miss.

Shots on goal by

Winnipeg411111–27

Washington121282–34

Goal — Winnipeg: Pavelec (W,20-18-6); Washington: Vokoun (L,22-13-2).

Power plays (goals-chances) — Winnipeg: 2-3; Washington: 2-5.

Referees — Stephen Walkom, Rob Martell. Linesmen — Dan Schachte, Matt MacPherson.

Attendance — 18,506 (18,398).