WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets were playing their final home game of the season against rivals the Minnesota Wild who are in a battle for the final wild card playoff spot and the Jets played one of their best home games of the season with a 5-1 win.
“We’re going to get throttled if we’re going to play like this,” Minnesota goaltender Devan Dubnyk said. “We’ve got to be ready to play playoff hockey at the start of the game. We’ve got to be absolutely desperate from the drop of the puck. It’s not there right now. I know this group will find a way.”
Winnipeg finishes the season with a home record of 18-19-4.
The Jets were buzzing all game using their speed and physical play to smother the Wild for the most part.
The Wild will have to wait to clinch their ticket to the playoffs with this loss Sunday.
“It’s disappointing that we didn’t play harder with a chance to seal it up here, but you can’t get down at this point of the [season],” Wild defenseman Ryan Suter said. “We’re sitting in a good spot still, and we just have to get it going in the last two games.
“We’re sitting in a good spot. We control our destiny. We’re going home.”
Ondrej Pavelec was in the net for the Jets and he was solid stopping 28 of 29 shots.
Winnipeg got goals from Mark Scheifele on the power play his 27th , Chris Thorburn his sixth , Andrew Copp his fifth , Drew Stafford on the power play his 21st , Blake Wheeler his 23rd.
“There is accountability and price for the other players when you see those two guys competing and being in the game, not being casual about the game, especially because [of the schedule],” Jets coach Paul Maurice said.
Winnipeg which has seen its power play struggle lately got two goals Sunday and will have some confidence as they head out on their California road swing.
“It’s an unfortunate situation we’re in, and obviously we can’t control it anymore,” Thorburn said. “But at the same time, we can control what’s ahead of us and being in the moment. That was a big game for Minnesota and for us, so I was proud of the way we played, and the way we battled.”
Mikael Granlund scored the lone goal for the Wild, his 13th of the season.
Once again it was a big Dustin Byfuglien hit that got the Jets going as he stepped into Justin Fontaine on the power play in the first that started the whole play that lead to the Scheifele goal.
With the win, the Jets made sure they wouldn’t finish last in the West as they have 72 points and will finish ahead of Edmonton who have 67 points with only two games left to play.
Nik Ehlers finished the game with two helpers and was dangerous again with Scheifele and Wheeler all game.
Winnipeg will travel to Anaheim to face the Ducks on Tuesday night.
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