Let the real games begin.
The Jets closed out their exhibition schedule with a 5-4 comeback victory over the Calgary Flames in a shootout Friday at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The Jets allowed three goals in the first period to trail 4-1 after 20 minutes, but they scored three unanswered goals in the second and third periods to force overtime. After a scoreless OT period, the Jets won the game in the seventh round of the shootout after Flames goalie Dustin Wolf juggled the puck on a Tanner Pearson attempt before dropping it in his own net to hand the win to the Jets.
“It was a little sloppy those first two periods,” Jets head coach Scott Arniel told the 680 CJOB post-game show. “There was spurts where we were doing some good things and then we made some uncharacteristic mistakes. Certainly, got down in the game, but really liked our third period. That’s all I said to them after the second. Let’s just make sure that we’re real good in the third and do what we need to do to get ready for next week.
“Found a way – just kept plugging away and it was a crazy ending but it’s nice to finish that way.”
Haydn Fleury, Gustav Nyquist, Alex Iafallo, and Parker Ford scored for Winnipeg in the victory.
While the Jets went 0-for-3 on their power play, the penalty kill was perfect in all five opportunities the Flames had with the man advantage.
“Those kills were big,” said Arniel. “They had some good kills in the third but it’s important. Early on in the year you want to make sure your specialty teams are up and running.”
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But the win came with a price as Dylan DeMelo and Cole Perfetti both had to leave the game with injuries for Winnipeg and Perfetti could be a long-term injury.
“Precautionary for DeMelo,” said Arniel. “He got a stick in the throat. With Perfetti – lower-body injury. We’re gonna get him home here. At first glance, it doesn’t look great, so we’ll see when we get home. But hopefully it’s not as bad,”
While the Jets used most of their regulars, Ford was in the lineup for Jonathan Toews after he was injured in their previous pre-season test.
Calgary opened the scoring just over seven minutes into the game when Nazem Kadri got loose in front of the net, took a pass from Adam Klapka and buried it past Connor Hellebuyck.
Just over four minutes later, the Flames doubled their lead. A point shot hit the stick of Fleury in the slot, which slowed the puck down as it landed on the stick of a wide open Matvei Gridin alone in front of Hellebuyck. He put it home to make it 2-0.
Winnipeg answered back at the 15:18 mark of the first when a point shot from Fleury found its way through traffic to beat Wolf.
But Calgary restored the tw0-goal lead less than two minutes later when a point shot from Joel Hanley made its way through traffic and beat Hellebuyck high.
Before the end of the period, DeMelo took a cross-check to the neck, skated off the ice in some discomfort and did not return to the game. That makes it three straight pre-season games in which a Winnipeg Jet player had to leave due to injury, with Dylan Samberg breaking his wrist Saturday and Jonathan Toews tweaking something Tuesday.
Kadri made it 4-1 Calgary just over four minutes into the second. Winnipeg rushed the puck up the ice but turned it over in the Flames end, igniting an odd-man rush the other way. As Klapka drew attention driving to the net, Kadri executed a perfect give-and-go with Kevin Bahl that ended with Kadri depositing the puck into a yawning cage.
At the 6:14 mark, Winnipeg cut the lead back to two when Nyquist won a net front battle and banged home a rebound off a Luke Schenn point shot.
It remained 4-2 Flames going to the third, but Winnipeg continued to rally, even though Perfetti did not return to the game for the third.
Iafallo cut the lead to one at the 3:47 mark of the period when Nyquist made a great play behind the net, sending a behind-the-back pass to Iafallo in the slot and he made no mistake.
The fourth line continued to have an impact for Winnipeg as they provided the game-tying goal. Ford had a partial 2-on-1 with Morgan Barron but Ford’s pass to Barron went over his stick and into the corner. Barron tracked it down and sent it to the point where Logan Stanley’s shot hit Ford in front and went in to make it 4-4.
Neither team scored in an entertaining, whistle-free overtime, sending the game to a shootout.
Calgary’s second shooter Justin Kirkland scored the first goal, Winnipeg’s third shooter Gabe Vilardi scored to extend things, the fifth shooters for both teams, Rasmus Andersson and Josh Morrissey also scored, as the shootout seemed like it might never end.
Pearson, Winnipeg’s seventh shooter, had his shot denied by Wolf but the rebound fluttered high in the air. Wolf attempted to catch the loose puck but fumbled it into his own net, giving Pearson the goal and ending the game.
The Jets finish their exhibition schedule with a 2-3-1 record and will have to make some roster decisions by Monday before they begin the regular season Thursday night at home against Dallas.
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