Ladd leads Jets past Penguins 4-2

[January 26, 2013]  WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) -- Andrew Ladd scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and the Winnipeg Jets won their first home game of the season, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2.

Evander Kane, Dustin Byfuglien and Blake Wheeler, with a late empty-net goal, also scored for the Jets.

It didn't start that well for Winnipeg after Sidney Crosby put on a scoring clinic in the first with two goals to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead.

But it was all Jets in the second, as Kane scored early, Byfuglien tied it just over 10 minutes later and Ladd then put the Jets ahead for good.

Crosby got things started for the Penguins just 4:26 in, when he raised one past Ondrej Pavelec's right shoulder on the short side that grazed the post and slipped into the net.

A little more than 10 minutes later, Crosby skated in front of the net and finessed a soft backhander past Pavelec and Byfuglien before either appeared to know what happened. It was Crosby's third goal of the early season.

In the second, Kane took a pass from Wheeler and Byfuglien right in front of Tomas Vokoun and scored.

Byfuglien evened things up as he slammed one in from the blue line, taking advantage of a holding penalty against Evgeni Malkin.

Ladd then put the Jets ahead for good from the right faceoff circle on a quick pass from linemate Bryan Little at 17:54.

[Associated Press]

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