|
 Wheeler scored his 24th goal in overtime as the Jets rallied for a
2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks night in front of 16,743 at the Honda
Center.
"We were a little more hungry," Winnipeg goalie Michael Hutchinson
said. "We really took it to them for most of the game. We were
battling so much for every single inch out there."
Michael Hutchinson stopped 27 shots and Marko Dano added his fifth
goal for the Jets (33-39-8), who earned their second consecutive
victory.
"We have nothing to lose," said Dano, acquired Feb. 25 from the
Chicago Blackhawks for Andrew Ladd in a four-player trade. "We're
trying to play a simple game and have fun. It works."
Corey Perry scored the only goal for the Ducks (44-24-11), who fell
into a tie with the Los Angeles Kings for first place in the Pacific
Division. The San Jose Sharks moved within three points of both
teams.
 "Realistically, it never should've gotten to overtime," Anaheim
defenseman Cam Fowler said. "We were in a position to win. But you
have to credit (the Jets). By no means did they look like a team
that had nothing to play for."
The Ducks and the Kings will meet Thursday night at the Staples
Center in Los Angeles for the division lead.
"It's always big playing against a cross-town rival," Fowler said.
"Anytime you go into L.A., it's going to be a hostile environment.
They're extremely difficult to play in that building."
Anaheim ends the season with three road games. After Thursday
night's game, the Ducks will visit the Colorado Avalanche on
Saturday and the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Los Angeles and San Jose, however, play each of their final two
games at home. After facing the Ducks, the Kings will meet Winnipeg
on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the Sharks will play host to the Jets
on Thursday night and the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.
Wheeler scored the winning goal with 1 minute, 53 seconds left in
overtime, when his wrist shot from the right circle deflected off
goalie John Gibson's glove and bounced behind him into the net.
Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf had a chance to win the game with 2:41 left
in the extra period. Sami Vatanen used a pass from the Ducks' zone
to free Getzlaf for a breakaway. But Hutchinson used his right leg
pad to block Getzlaf's backhanded shot.
"Players like that with gifted hands like to make a move and go
five-hole when you're spread out," Hutchinson said about Getzlaf
while using the expression for the area between a goalie's legs.
"This was the first time I was able to close my five-hole quick
enough."
[to top of second column] |
Perry gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead 13:33 into the game on a power play
17 seconds after Dano went to the penalty box for high sticking.
Geztlaf one-timed a slap shot from the left circle that deflected
off Hutchinson's right shoulder to Perry, who flicked it into the
net from the right post for his 33rd goal. Getzlaf recorded his 50th
assist on the play.
"We weren't pushing like we did against Dallas," Anaheim coach Bruce
Boudreau said about the Ducks' 3-1 victory over the Stars on Sunday
night. "Until the third period, I thought we were playing just to
play with them."
Dano used his fifth goal to tie the score with 3:46 remaining in
regulation. Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Trouba sent a wrist shot from
the blue line that Dano deflected behind Gibson, who finished with
24 saves.
NOTES: Winnipeg scratched D Toby Enstrom (lower body), LW Matt
Halischuk, D Brenden Kichton, C Bryan Little (upper body), RW J.C.
Lipon (upper body), D Tyler Myers (lower body), RW Anthony Peluso
(upper body) and C Mathieu Perreault (upper body). ... Jets LW
Brandon Tanev made his NHL debut after signing a free-agent contract
March 30. Tanev, who played the past four seasons for Providence
College, is the eighth rookie to make his NHL debut with the Jets
and the 11th to play for the team this season. ... Anaheim scratched
G Frederik Andersen (concussion), D Kevin Bieksa (upper body), D
Korbinian Holzer, LW David Perron (separated right shoulder), LW
Brandon Pirri (upper body) and C Rickard Rakell (appendicitis). .
... Anaheim can become the first team since the 1984-85 New York
Islanders to lead the NHL in both power-play success and penalty
killing. The Ducks converted 23.2 percent of their power plays and
killed 86.9 percent of their penalties, both league highs, as play
began. ... Anaheim also has a chance to break the NHL's
single-season record for penalty killing, set at 89.58 percent by
the New Jersey Devils in 2011-12. ... The Ducks will end their
regular season Sunday in Washington against the Capitals in a game
rescheduled from Jan. 22, when a snowstorm disrupted transportation.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
