In Calgary, the Flames took a 2-0 lead over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, and then sat back and watched the lead evaporate in a 4-2 loss.
Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm staked the Flames to the two-goal lead early in the first period.
The Flames dropped to 12-4-5.
“The outcome [stinks] right now, but at the end of the day we just got to find a way to get that one to overtime, or try to get two [goals] before, but we can’t lose that one in regulation,” Tkachuk said. “Those ones hurt, so we’ll learn from it. Those are the games that don’t sit too well with you.”
Connor Hellebuyck settled down and made 34 saves in the Jets win.
Kyle Connor hit for a pair of goals in the Winnipeg rally.
“It’s one win in an 82-game season still. We can definitely draw from this game later on, hopefully,” Connor said. “Get the confidence of the whole group and try to spark something here, especially going back home for a little [four-game] stand.”
The win ended a five-game slide by the Jets, they improved to 10-7-4.
“‘Helly’ was great tonight,” Connor said. “He had a couple flurries there, even on that power play. We’re all on the bench hooting and hollering when that’s going on. Everybody’s laying it on the line there. It’s good to see him get a win, too.”
Tkachuk scored 26 seconds into the match for the early Calgary lead; Lindholm pushed the lead to 2-0 in the eighth minute of the game.
“I think in the third we were pushing hard for the third one, but it just didn’t go our way tonight,” Lindholm said. “Then they get one with four minutes left. I think all of us on the ice could have made a better read, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes.”
Connor got one back before the end of the period to make 2-1 to the Flames.
Paul Stastny tied in the middle frame before Connor hit for the game-winner in the third stanza.
“It’s so easy to fade away in that game,” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “We win the first three face-offs and we’re down 1-0 so early. The way it’s been going for us, it’s so hard to muster the fight to stay in the game. From our goaltender on out after that they just scratched and clawed.
“Huge win for us. To get beat as bad and as hard as we got beat with the week that we’ve had, we don’t have much in the tank here. They’re dragging out there. Real big win. We’re going to enjoy all of it.”
Andrew Copp completed the rally with an empty-net goal for the 4-2 final.
Jacob Markstrom made 24 saves in the loss.
You must be logged in to post a comment.