WINNIPEG – Downtown Winnipeg was buzzing as the Jets welcomed the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins to the MTS Centre for the much anticipated rematch between these two teams who battled each other in Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago.
During that game there were some nasty hits on both sides including Evgeni Malkin’s hit on Jets’ captain Blake Wheeler that was viewed as a cheap dirty hit that Malkin got away with.
The plot thickened when the Penguins called up heavyweight Tom Sestito from the AHL and had him in the line up.
Just three minutes into the game Wheeler and Malkin squared up after a face off and the gloves were off with Wheeler taking the best in this rare dance between two of the highly skilled players on both teams.
Give Malkin credit, he stepped up and answered Wheeler who landed a few good blows.
Very next face off the two main heavy’s who everybody thought would go dropped the mitts and had a very entertaining tilt. Sestito and Chris Thorburnof the Jets went toe to toe and the crowd was buzzing .
Shawn Matthias got the Jets on the board with a nifty backhand that beat Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray for his 8th of the year.
Nick Bonino got the game squared up moments later as he beat Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck for his 10th.
After a disallowed goal by Winnipeg, Nik Ehlers ripped his 22nd high glove on Murray to get the Jets the lead.
Malkin snuck behind the Jets defence and took a beauty feed from Phil Kessel to break in and he madeno mistake getting his 30th.
The crazy first ended with Dustin Byfuglien banging in a loose puck to give the Jets a 3-2 lead after the opening twenty.
In the second period, the Jets ran into some penalty problems and the Penguins power play went to work as Justin Shultz got his 12th , Bonino got his second of the game and 11th of the season . These power play goals came twenty seconds apart.
Malkin then added insult to injury outmuscling Mark Sheifele in front of the Jets net to score his 31st and second of the night to make it 5-3 .
Bonino completed the hatty on yet another power play to make 6-3 after forty.
The Jets also went away from the physical play that makes them so tough to play against.
“I think we stopped playing the way we should be playing, the way we have been playing lately. Obviously they’re a great team who can score. They’re all-around really good, but I think we could have done more today,” Ehlers said.
Jake Guentzel scored his 9th for the Penguins before Marko Dano got his 4th for Winnipeg to make the final 7-4 Penguins.
WATCH: All Penguins vs. Jets highlights
Sestito was ejected in the first for a hit from behind on Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom who left the game with an upper body injury.
“Toby is in the hospital now, he’s getting checked for facial fractures,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said.
With the loss, the Jets fall to 30-32-6 still five points behind the Blues for the final Wild Card playoff spot.
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