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 The 6-foot-5, 260-pound product of Roseau, Minn., fired a
highlight-reel goal with just 1:28 left in the third period to spark
the Jets to a 3-1 triumph over the Calgary Flames at the MTS Centre.
Byfuglien poked the puck away from Calgary left winger Johnny
Gaudreau on the Jets side of center ice then began barging down the
left side. That's when the real magic began.
The big man deftly slipped the puck through his own legs and bounced
it off the boards, picked it up again on the other side of Flames
defenseman Dennis Wideman and then snapped it high past goalie Karri
Ramo from a sharp angle for his second goal of the year.
After a short review, off-ice officials ruled the Jets were on side
during the rush up the ice and the goal counted.
"I knew I was onside because I had the puck, but I really didn't
know what was going on," said Byfuglien. "There's new rules in this
league all the time, who knows what's going on anymore."
He didn't play up his own heroics, as per usual in his post-game
interviews.
"It was good. It was something that... it's just another game."
The triumph came nearly six months after the Anaheim Ducks dumped
the Jets 5-2 at the MTS Centre to sweep last year's best-of-seven
Western Conference first-round playoff series four straight.
Right winger Blake Wheeler scored into an empty net at 19:07 to seal
the win in the home-opener for Winnipeg (4-1-0).
The Flames (1-3-0) got their only goal from center Markus Backlund,
who notched his first of the season early in the opening period
during a goal-mouth scramble.
But Winnipeg center Bryan Little was credited with his third goal of
the year when a pass from Wheeler bounced in off his skate midway
through the second period to even the game at 1.
Little said Byfuglien's winning goal was a beauty.
"He's a guy that's fun to watch when he's playing his game. He's
just so strong and big on the puck and he shows he's got a nice pair
of hands and a great shot, too," said Little. "When he wants to take
that puck to the net, there's not many guys in this league that can
stop him."
Ramo was the best player on the ice for the visitors, stopping 27
shots. But he shouldered all the blame for yielding Byfuglien's late
tie-breaker that somehow squeezed past him.
"I don't know," said the Finnish goaltender. "My skate just slipped,
taking the post away. My skate just slipped into the net. (It's)
something that happens from time to time. It's just a small, small,
tiny mistake that I made and it made it look really awful. Not bad
luck, just really poor execution on my part."
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"That's hockey. That's the game there. Today it cost us the game.
The goalie's job is to give his team a chance to win. We were there
but it's still a pretty large mistake by me. The situation makes it
worse. If it was the first few minutes of the game you have time to
regroup.
"That was crucial time of the game."
Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec made 19 saves for his second win of the
young season.
The game was the first of six straight at home for the Jets, their
longest home stand of the 2015-16 season.
Calgary coach Bob Hartley wasn't displeased with his club's effort
in hostile territory.
"The second period, the last 10 minutes, they gain momentum on us.
But in the third it was up and down, it was odd-man rushes on both
sides," Hartley said. "I'm really happy with our game. We did lots
of good things. We have lots of young players who are learning the
game, especially the NHL game and how to play in late minutes.
"But they got the last shot and they deserve to win."
NOTES: Calgary C Lance Bouma broke his fibula in a 4-3 home defeat
to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday and is out indefinitely. The
Flames recalled C Markus Granlund from Stockton of the American
Hockey League, although he didn't dress Friday while C Josh Jooris
was in the lineup against Winnipeg. ... Jets D Paul Postma, D Ben
Chiarot and RW Anthony Peluso were scratched. ... Winnipeg was the
last team in the NHL to have its home opener, after beginning the
season with four road contests against Eastern Conference teams
followed by a couple of days off. ... Jets C Mark Scheifele fired a
goal in each of the first three games of the season, and none was a
fluke. He used a quick release to beat Boston G Tuukka Rask, New
Jersey G Cory Schneider and New York Islanders G Thomas Greiss. ...
The Flames begin a three-game home stand Saturday against the
Edmonton Oilers.
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