Winning ugly against Arizona

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This article was published 06/02/2018 (2774 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Their goalie had a rare off night, letting in a couple early softies. They were without the services of at least a half-dozen regulars on their roster. And yet they still won, even if it was by the slimmest of margins.

Such is life these days for the Winnipeg Jets, who beat the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 Tuesday at Bell MTS Place. Sure, it helped they were facing off against the league’s worst team, who looked every bit the part at times. But it also shows the depth within the Jets organization that they could keep the good times rolling despite the growing pile of injuries.

“I would agree this won’t make the season-ticket package. We’re not sending that video out. But sometimes, those are the most important wins because you learn how to grind them out,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said following the game.

The Jets improved to 32-13-9 and the team hasn’t lost in eight straight games in regulation (6-0-2) as they remain on top of the Central Division. They are 3-0-1 on their current 10-game homestand.

It was a mix of veteran savvy and youthful exuberance that powered the Jets on this night.

Dustin Byfuglien, playing in his 800th regular-season NHL game, had a goal and an assist. Nic Petan, playing his first game since being called up from the Manitoba Moose, scored a big goal. Rookie Jack Roslovic scored for a second straight game. And Kyle Connor set up the game-winner with a dazzling rush.

“It doesn’t matter who is out of the lineup, we’ve got to fill their shoes and continue to work, and work together and you never know what can happen,” said Byfuglien, who got a rousing standing ovation from fans when his milestone was announced early in the game.

“It’s great. I’ve done some good things around here to stick around to play 800,” said Byfuglien.”It’s an honour, it’s a pleasure, it’s fun.”

He was asked if he could have imagined this after being selected in the eighth round, 245th-overall, of the 2003 NHL Draft.

“Absolutely not. Nope. Every day I’m here to have fun and work and enjoy the time while I can,” he said.

It certainly wasn’t a very fun night for the goaltenders, as they gave up a combined seven goals on 47 shots and really struggled during a wild opening period.

Roslovic opened the scoring just 30 seconds in, ripping the first shot of the game past Coyotes netminder Antti Raanta for his third of the season and second in as many games. Veteran defenceman Toby Enstrom made a great slap pass to set him up.

“It’s good to set the tone that way, it’s good for the team. It was good to get one early in the game,” said Roslovic.

The Coyotes responded just minutes later, beating Connor Hellebuyck on their first shot. Defenceman Kevin Connauton’s point shot somehow trickled through his pads.

Byfuglien put the Jets back ahead near the midway mark of the opening frame, showing some great hand-eye co-ordination to bat a puck out of mid-air past Raanta.

“I swing at a lot of pucks and miss most of them. But that one I got,” said Byfuglien.

Petan made it 3-1 with just over five minutes to play in the first period, redirecting Ben Chiarot’s point shot past Raanta. Linemate Marko Dano had hit the post seconds earlier after a great feed from Petan.

Brendan Lemieux, who was also called up from the Moose this week, then took an undisciplined cross-checking penalty late in the period.

The Coyotes made Lemieux pay, as Christian Dvorak beat Hellebuyck through the five-hole. Petan took two minor penalties of his own later in the game.

“I liked their game other than that,” said Maurice. “So those penalties you bark at them on the bench but you wouldn’t think a whole lot of them if you had all your penalty killers in the lineup and it doesn’t affect your flow. They’re far more costly right now with the injuries that we have because we have to run people, either guys who’ve never killed penalties before, or you’re running those killers harder.”

Winnipeg restored their two-goal lead just over two minutes into the second period. Connor showed off his great speed with a rush into the offensive zone, then dished to defenceman Dmitry Kulikov, who beat Raanta with a shot high glove side, one the goalie would no doubt want back.

“He put it perfectly for my one-timer and I’m lucky that it went in,” Kulikov said of what proved to be the game-winner.

Dano rang another one off the iron later in the period after another great pass from Petan, who was flying on the night.

“I thought it went pretty well. The first two periods went as well as we thought. Obviously, it would’ve been a little bit better off I didn’t take the two penalties, but great kills and a great win,” Petan said.

Derek Stepan brought the Coyotes back within one just 55 seconds into the final period, deflecting a shot past Hellebuyck. Winnipeg then hung on late in the game, including a big penalty kill with just over five minutes left that included a couple of timely saves by tghe Jets goaltender.

“You know what, Connor has been so good for so long and so solid and consistent, I thought it was an important one for him, too. The first one’s a screen, the second one’s a shot that comes back to the guy, so now you set on the shot and you move and don’t like it. The third one’s a kind of unusual tip.

“So it wasn’t easy for him. All he needs to do really is make one save there when the (Arizona) goaltender’s out and we win the hockey game,” said Maurice.

Winnipeg’s power play finished 0-for-4, while Arizona went 1-for-4 with the man advantage.

“There’s no easy games at this point in the season and you’re going to have to work for every goal. They pushed back. They were close to scoring a goal and tying the game up. The message is we play 60 minutes every game,” said Kulikov.

The Jets were without injured forwards Mark Scheifele, Adam Lowry, Matt Hendricks and Brandon Tanev, plus defenceman Jacob Trouba and goalie Steve Mason.

Winnipeg continues their homestand by hosting the St. Louis Blues on Friday night. No. 1 centre Scheifele is expected to return to the lineup after missing 16 games with an upper-body injury.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @mikemcintyrewpg