Jets get the last quack

Hand Ducks first regulation loss at home, win fourth in a row

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 1:00 AM CST Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It's been a lingering question in NHL circles for the past week -- are the Winnipeg Jets for real?

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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It's been a lingering question in NHL circles for the past week -- are the Winnipeg Jets for real?

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/01/2014 (4273 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — It’s been a lingering question in NHL circles for the past week — are the Winnipeg Jets for real?

The answer came here Tuesday night at the venerable Honda Center, the place where visiting NHL teams have gone to die this season — and it was a resounding yes.

The Jets defeated the league-leading Anaheim Ducks 3-2 Tuesday night to give newly installed head coach Paul Maurice his fourth straight victory since taking over from Claude Noel on Jan. 12.

Jae C. Hong / The Associated Press
Winnipeg's Andrew Ladd takes a tumble to the ice while fighting for the puck with Anaheim's Daniel Winnik during the first period at the Honda Center Tuesday. — Jae C. Hong / The Associated Press Winnipeg's Andrew Ladd takes a tumble to the ice while fighting for the puck with Anaheim's Daniel Winnik during the first period at the Honda Center Tuesday.

But even more impressive than what now ties the longest winning streak for the Jets this season is who it came against — an Anaheim team that boasts the best record in the NHL and had yet to be beaten in regulation time, boasting a 20-0-2 record, until Winnipeg hung one on them on the strength of a sensational performance by goaltender Ondrej Pavelec on a night the Jets were outshot 42-21.

The win bumped Winnipeg’s season record back to .500 at 23-23-5 and would seem to erase any lingering questions about whether Winnipeg’s previous victories under Maurice last week over Phoenix, Calgary and Edmonton were a genuine turnaround or simply the result of catching a series of struggling opponents at an opportune time.

Consider the context

It is difficult to overstate just how unlikely this Jets victory was last night.

In addition to the Ducks’s league-leading overall record and their outright dominance at home this season, Anaheim also got the first goal of the game on a shot from the point by Ducks defenceman Cam Fowler at 3:59 of the first period.

The Ducks have been dominating this season when scoring first, taking a 22-3-4 record into the game. But a soft goal by Jets winger Blake Wheeler on Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller just 80 seconds after Fowler’s goal got the Jets back to even and then Jets captain Andrew Ladd gave the Jets the lead for good on a tip-in at 18:36 of the opening period.

A second-period short-handed goal from a sharp angle by Jets forward Evander Kane put the Jets up 3-1 and that was enough for Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau, who gave Hiller the hook at that point in favour of backup Frederik Andersen.

About that third period

The Ducks had Winnipeg under siege for almost the entirety of the the third period and got within a goal midway through the final period when Ducks centre Nick Bonino pushed a rebound past a sprawled Pavelec at 10:18.

But Pavelec was not to be denied the victory on this night, turning away 40 of 42 shots, many of them from point-blank range and in the midst of mad scrambles in front of his net during what was a 16-shot third period onslaught by the Ducks.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Free Press 3 stars

111The Jets netminder was exceptional all night, turning back a total of 40 of 42 shots and standing on his head through Anaheim onslaughts all night long. Pavelec has been the Jets starter for all four games since Paul Maurice took over behind the Jets bench and, like Maurice, has yet to lose during that period.

222Playing his first game since a hand injury sidelined him for four games, Kane was a presence on the ice all night long, notching his 15th goal of the season on a short-handed marker late in the 2nd period and also chipping in an assist on Winnipeg’s first goal of the game.

333Little had 2 assists on the night and now has 7 points in his last 5 games and a five-game assist streak on the go.

“Ø”Ø SUMMARY

First Period

1. Anaheim, Fowler 6 (Getzlaf, Beleskey) 3:59 (pp).

2. Winnipeg, Wheeler 18 (Kane, Scheifele) 5:19.

3. Winnipeg, Ladd 11 (Little, Trouba) 18:36.

Penalties — Trouba Wpg (tripping) 2:07, Koivu Ana (tripping) 9:13.

Second Period

4. Winnipeg, Kane 15 (Little) 15:43 (sh).

Penalties — Stuart Wpg (holding) 11:46, Pardy Wpg (interference) 13:55.

Third Period

5. Anaheim, Bonino 16 (Silfverberg) 10:18.

Penalties — Stuart Wpg (delay of game) 12:26, Perry Ana (unsportsmanlike conduct) 19:58.

Referees — Marc Joannette, Dean Morton.

Linesmen — Brian Mach, Brad Kovachik.

Attendance — 15,046 at Anaheim.

“Ø”Ø BOSS IMPRESSED:

WINNIPEG Jets chairman Mark Chipman weighed in for the first time on Tuesday on the undefeated performance of his team under new head coach Paul Maurice.

“Obviously, very pleased,” Chipman told reporters at Honda Center prior to his team’s morning skate.”

“I think it’s a step in the right direction. Paul seems to have settled in very well and stepping into that situation is a difficult one and I think he’s managed it very, very well. I’m very pleased with the job he’s done so far.”

It was Chipman’s first public comments on the state of his team since former head coach Claude Noel was fired on Jan. 12 and replaced by Maurice, who was 3-0 since taking over as Jets head coach heading into the game Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks.

“Ø”Ø UP NEXT:

The Jets continue an extraordinarily difficult California road swing on Thursday when they face the Sharks in San Jose. The Sharks are second only to Anaheim in the Pacific Division and with a 32-12-6 record are fifth overall in the NHL standings. It will be Winnipeg’s first trip to San Jose since the Jets returned to the NHL in 2011.

— Paul Wiecek