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 Needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Winnipeg Jets
out-worked and out-scored the suddenly reeling Minnesota Wild 2-0 on
Monday.
Right wingers Drew Stafford and Blake Wheeler scored, while goalie
Ondrej Pavelec turned in a 32-save performance, as the Jets improved
their odds of their first playoff trip since the NHL returned to
Winnipeg in 2011.
"The shots came from the outside, and a big part of that is how he
handled the shots," said Jets coach Paul Maurice, in praise of his
goalie. "The rebounds aren't as dangerous because he controlled so
many, kicked a lot to the corners that we were able to recover on.
We know he can see them then so we're doing a good job clearing it
out. The way we cleared rebounds had a lot to do with it."
Minnesota, which could have clinched a Western Conference playoff
spot with a win, got 32 saves from goalie Devan Dubnyk, but was shut
out at home for just the second time this season and lost its third
game in a row.
"We're a confident group," said Dubnyk, whose team can still make
their third consecutive playoff trip with a win in any of their
three remaining road games. "We're comfortable with the way we need
to play. We'll continue that going forward. We're not going to
change anything. I know tensions are high around here and questions
start flying around pretty quick after a couple losses. So, I don't
think we're too worried about it as a group in here. We're just
going to continue looking forward."
Playing their final home game of the regular season, the Wild looked
little like the holders of the NHL's best record since the All-Star
break, falling behind early and suffering some notable lapses in
discipline.
"Give them credit, they made us fight for every inch of it there,"
Wild coach Mike Yeo said. "I do feel that we went into the game with
a lot of emotion, and I don't know that we necessarily controlled it
in the right way. I felt that there was some tension tonight in our
game. I think that was kind of how you explain some of the rolling
pucks and missed plays that just seemed to be happening. It was a
pretty even game, but obviously we didn't do enough."
Winnipeg jumped out to a lively start, recording the game's first
five shots on goal and taking an early 1-0 lead on the first power
play of the evening. Wheeler got free low in the right circle, with
defenseman Tyler Myers free on the other side of the crease. Wheeler
zipped the puck across the front of the crease, looking to pass to
Myers, only to have the puck hit the skate of Wild defenseman Marco
Scandella and deflect into the net. It was the fourth goal in the
past six games for Wheeler.
"You try to take this crowd out of it as much as you can," Wheeler
said. "They definitely feed off of their emotion. You could see
early in the game their crowd was all over the refs trying to get
calls, so trying to take them out of it early, I think that was a
big part of it."
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Minnesota, which has been plagued by an ineffective power play
lately, had plenty of chances but no goals on its three
man-advantage opportunities.
The Jets doubled their lead in the latter half of the second period
when Dubnyk stopped a hard shot by Myers, but saw the rebound carom
out to the slot where Stafford was waiting. He ripped a wrist shot
that beat Dubnyk on the stick side.
"Tyler was driving wide and had a nice shot," Stafford said. "Kind
of a juicy rebound popped out and I was able to get a pretty good
bounce over the D-man's stick. I have to kind of knock it down and
get it off quick and I was able to luckily sneak it in there."
It was Pavelec's third shutout of the season.
NOTES: Jets D Dustin Byfuglien was unavailable as he was serving the
second game of his four-game suspension handed down by the NHL.
Byfuglien was disciplined for delivering a cross-check to the neck
of New York Rangers RW J.T. Miller during a March 31 game in
Winnipeg. ... Monday's game was sold out, meaning the Wild sold
every ticket available for all 41 homes games this season, and sold
more than 19,000 tickets 30 times despite Xcel Energy Center's
official seating capacity of 17,954. ... Jets D Toby Enstrom left
Saturday's 5-4 home win over the Vancouver Canucks in the third
period after being knocked hard into the boards. Winnipeg coaches
said he was an option prior to Monday's game, but Enstrom was not in
the Jets lineup. ... The Wild, who have won their franchise-record
last 10 games away from home, close the regular season with three
consecutive road games, starting Tuesday night when they visit the
Chicago Blackhawks. ... Winnipeg is also on the road Tuesday night
when it plays the Blues in St. Louis.
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