NHL - Jets - Round Up February 18-21, 2017

Jets @ Montreal Canadiens 3-1 - Saturday, February 18, 2017
The Montreal Canadiens lost Claude Julien's first game as coach, 3-1 to the Winnipeg Jets at Bell Centre. Mathieu Perreault and Patrik Laine scored in the third period to break a 1-1 tie. Julien, who was fired by the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, was hired by the Canadiens the previous Tuesday. Montreal has one win in its past eight games (1-6-1). Montreal took advantage of a turnover by Ben Chiarot to take a 1-0 lead at 11:04 of the first. Andrei Markov drove to the net to tap in a pass from Max Pacioretty on the right side. Joel Armia scored a shorthanded goal at 4:52 of the second period to tie it 1-1. Perreault put the Jets ahead 2-1 at 1:16 with a backhand shot past Carey Price from the slot. Laine scored his 28th goal into an empty net with 1:17 remaining. Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves for Winnipeg (27-29-5), which has five points in its past three games (2-0-1) after losing four straight. Price made 30 saves for Montreal (31-20-8), which extended its losing streak to three in its first game since changing coaches during its five-day break. Julien signed a five-year contract to replace Therrien, who was fired after Montreal went 1-5-1 in the seven games preceding its five-day break. Julien first replaced Therrien during the 2002-03 season.

* Armia deked Price on a breakaway to score after stripping the puck from Canadiens defenseman Nathan Beaulieu in the neutral zone.

* Hellebuyck made a save on Nathan Beaulieu's shot off a cross-ice pass by Alex Galchenyuk on the power play in the second period to keep it tied.

* Dustin Byfuglien carried the puck along the right boards and somehow made a centering pass with three Canadiens converged on him to set up Perreault's goal.

"I haven't seen a lot of one-handed, inside toe-drags to your back foot into the slot," Maurice said. "He's the one guy that's capable of doing it."

* Jets center Mark Scheifele won 11-of-18 faceoffs and drew praise from Maurice for bouncing back with a strong effort after he was on the ice for the losing goal in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.

"That's just a great sign of character and leadership in a young man," Maurice said.
* Julien moved Galchenyuk to the third line in the third period after he started at center on the top line with Pacioretty and right wing Alexander Radulov.

"We were on the right side of pucks and we were battling. We battled the entire night and our forecheck was good." Connor Hellebuyck
"That was huge [Armia's goal]. You know, it starts it up. We were playing a great game until then and then he ties it up, and from there we just feel like we took over."
"I didn't even really see it. I saw the replay and it was an awesome pass. Honestly, it came to me and I just whacked it in." Perreault said

"It's a continuation. We've had three really, really strong games, and more of the same tonight. They're almost identical games that we've played, really strong with our gap, not giving the other team a whole lot, and getting enough offense. The time of year says you're probably not going to see the 7-6 games anymore and you're going to get into the 2-1 games, and we were comfortable with that." Paul Maurice.

Jets @ Ottawa Senators 3-2 - Sunday, February 19, 2017
The Winnipeg Jets' push for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs gathered momentum with a 3-2 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.
Dustin Byfuglien, Mathieu Perreault and Josh Morrissey scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves to help Winnipeg (28-29-5) extended its point streak to four games (3-0-1) and moved within one point of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. Mark Stone and Zack Smith scored, and Mike Condon made 17 saves for Ottawa (31-20-6). The Senators are in second place in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Montreal Canadiens with two games in hand. Before the game, Senators coach Guy Boucher said forward Bobby Ryan would be out indefinitely because of an injury to his right index finger. Top-six forwards Mike Hoffman and Stone each left the game Sunday, and forward Tommy Wingels also left in the third period after he was hit by Byfuglien. Hoffman left after the first period because of a lower-body injury, and Stone left at 6:42 of the third period after he was hit by Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba, who was assessed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head. The Jets are 2-0-1 on their four-game road trip, which wraps up Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, their final game before a six-day break. Byfuglien scored 1:09 into the game, and Perreault made it 2-0 at 12:28 of the first. Stone scored on the power play at 5:10 of the second period to make it 2-1. Morrissey scored at 2:33 of the third period, and Smith made it 3-2 at 5:05 when a pass deflected in off his skate.

* Byfuglien took a pass from Mark Scheifele and scored his ninth goal of the season at 1:09 of the first period.

* Hellebuyck got his left pad on the puck with four seconds left in the third period as Pageau jammed by the right post. A video review was inconclusive. "We couldn't see the puck if it was in or not, but I was pretty sure [Hellebuyck's] pad got jammed into the net pretty hard that even if it had crossed the line it was going to be goalie interference," Jets coach Paul Maurice said.

* Perreault scored for the second game in a row after some deft passing by Patrik Laine and Scheifele set him up alone in front of Condon. He swung the puck around the Senators goaltender and tucked in a backhand for his sixth goal of the season.

* Jets forward Adam Lowry played 14:54 (2:49 shorthanded), had three shots (another was blocked), four hits and was 8 of 13 (62 percent) in the faceoff circle.

* Boucher dressed seven defensemen and 11 forwards. After Hoffman was injured, defenseman Fredrik Claesson moved up to play forward. … Stone's goal on the power play was the 14th on home ice this season. They entered the game ranked 28th at home with the man-advantage.

"I liked it a lot. We were doing the little things right again. I know I talk about that a lot, but it really makes a difference in the game. Getting sticks on pucks when they are about to shoot, it really changes my game. It also helps that we blocked a lot of shots tonight and a lot of key shots. You can go around the room and find a couple of bruises on each guy."
"That was guaranteed out. My pad was there and then he pushed my pad in and I got my glove right behind it. I'm kind of confused why the crowd was getting into it." Hellebuyck said.

Jets @ Toronto Maple Leafs 4-5 OT - Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Jake Gardiner scored with 2:29 remaining in overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 5-4 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Air Canada Centre. Leo Komarov scored twice, and Auston Matthews had three assists to reach 52 points.

It was the second and final regular-season game between Matthews and Jets forward Patrik Laine, the top two picks in the 2016 NHL Draft, this season.
Frederik Andersen made 16 saves for the Maple Leafs (28-20-11), who won their second in a row. Toronto moved into third place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the Boston Bruins. Toronto tied it 4-4 at 3:30 of the third period when William Nylander put in a rebound off the end boards from a Matthews shot. Laine scored twice to reach 30 goals for the Jets (28-29-6). He leads all NHL rookies with 54 points. Komarov put the Maple Leafs up 1-0 at 1:02 of the first period. Laine one-timed a cross-ice pass from Mark Scheifele at 4:25 to tie it 1-1, and Winnipeg took a 2-1 lead at 10:33 with a power-play goal by Bryan Little, who put a rebound from a Dustin Byfuglien point shot past Andersen at the top of the crease. Little deflected a Byfuglien point shot past Andersen from the high slot at 19:55 but the goal was disallowed after it was ruled Little touched the puck with a high stick. Toronto tied it 2-2 at 15:52 of the second period when Nazem Kadri fooled Connor Hellebuyck with a backhand on a partial breakaway for his 25th. Nikolaj Ehlers scored his 20th to give the Jets a 3-2 lead at 17:24 when he tipped a Josh Morrissey point shot. Komarov scored his second of the game on a power play at 19:28 to tie it 3-3. Laine scored at 19:57 to give Winnipeg a 4-3 lead.

* Nylander controlled the puck and skated deep into the zone before finding Komarov with a cross-ice pass through the slot for a one-timer.

* Gardiner could not glove down a loose puck, leaving Wheeler with a partial breakaway. Andersen kept his left pad on the ice at 5:40 of the second period to keep the score 2-1.

* Laine set up in the high slot and took a pass from Scheifele behind the net that he one-timed through traffic to restore Winnipeg's lead.

* Maple Leafs center Tyler Bozak won 14 of 21 faceoffs (67 percent).

* Matthews, 19, became the second teenager in Maple Leafs history to score at least 50 points in a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Ted Kennedy had 54 points (29 gaols, 25 assists) as a 19-year-old in 1944-45 (49 games played). ... Laine became the first rookie in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history to score 30 goals in a season. Laine is the fifth rookie in the past 25 seasons to score 30 goals in 55 or fewer games played, according to Elias. ... Maple Leafs defenseman Connor Carrick left the game at 9:08 of the first period with an upper-body injury. Babcock said Carrick will likely miss time and defenseman Alexey Marchenko will get an opportunity to play Thursday against the New York Rangers. He has not played since being claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings Feb. 4.

"It was right there for us, but we just couldn't hang on to it there in the third. I think we were running on fumes a little bit, but guys battled hard tonight." Blake Wheeler said.
"We don't talk to Patrik Laine anymore; we just talk to everybody else and tell them to give him the puck."
"What a special, special talent. [Laine's] a good man too, he's a good young kid. He's got lots of room to get stronger. He's strong now, but this guy's got another 10 to 15 pounds to put on his back and legs, and when that happens, he's going to get all of the shots he wants off." Paul Maurice said. 

NHL - Jets - Round Up February 10-14, 2017

Hawks @ Jets 5-2 - Friday, February 10, 2017
Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists to help the Chicago Blackhawks to their fourth straight win, 5-2 against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, who are 4-1-0 on their six-game road trip, which ends Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. The Blackhawks (34-17-5) avoided a season sweep by the Jets. They were outscored 14-5 in the first four games. The Jets (25-28-4) lost their third straight game and fourth straight at home. Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa scored for the Blackhawks, and Corey Crawford made 28 saves. Kane's first-period goal was the 269th of his NHL career, passing Tony Amonte for most by a United States-born player in Blackhawks history. Bryan Little and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves for Winnipeg. It was his first loss in five starts against the Blackhawks this season. Kane scored at 15:37 of the first period to make it 1-0. Little tied the game 1-1 at 1:43 of the second period, picking up a rebound off Toby Enstrom's point shot and chipping it past Crawford for his 16th goal. Anisimov made it 2-1 at 12:16, getting his stick on a rebound from Panarin's shot from the top of the circle and directing it past Hellebuyck for his 19th of the season. Keith scored at 17:01 of the third period to make it 3-1. Hossa scored his 20th shorthanded into an empty net at 18:09. Lowry made it 4-2 at 18:49 on the power play. Panarin scored into an empty net at 19:44.

* Anisimov forced a turnover by Blake Wheeler near the Jets blue line and got the puck to Panarin, who made a cross-ice pass to Kane for his 18th goal.

* With the Blackhawks leading 2-1 in the second period, defenseman Brent Seabrook cleared a puck that was trickling through the legs of Crawford and approaching the goal line. 

* Crawford sprawled out to get his right pad on Mathieu Perreault's attempt at a wide-open net at 13:21 of the first period.

* Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson had six blocked shots, was plus-5 and had an assist in 24:11.

* Hossa scored 20 goals for the 15th time in his NHL career. … Winnipeg has allowed at least three goals in 14 straight games.

Jets Quotes

"I thought we had a bit of a slow start. I thought they came out hungry and controlled a lot of the play early in the game and got that goal right away. I thought we did a good job in the second and the third battling back and getting our chances and making it a close game."
"We regroup [Saturday]. It's kind of nice that we play right away again and try to get something going. We're desperate for points right now and we need to get on a roll. We're all glad to put this behind us and try and get a win [Saturday]." Little said.
"There are factors to it. Anything that I say is going to sound like an excuse so I really don't want to make them. The ability to drive and dominate, to get on any kind of runs, one piece of your game has to be elite at different times. So your goaltender has to get real hot for a few games and then special teams have to get hot for a few games and then that ability to drive in night in and night out gives you that. Yeah, there's some consistency that's not there in our game, that's true." Paul Maurice

Hawks Quotes

"I think it's even more important that, you know, we were in the same position against them the last time, up a goal in the third, and didn't get the job done."
"We did what we had to tonight, scored a late goal, big goal there by [Keith] and couple empty-netters. [It] feels good to beat these guys, especially after they've had the success they've had against us." Kane said.
"We've been trying to find that part of our game, whether it's the defensemen incorporating into the rush, jumping off points. Our possession zone time has been way more effective and more dangerous with chances made off the rush. You don't have to defend as much." Joel Quenneville

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Jets 4-1 - Saturday, February 11, 2017
Victor Hedman, Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point each had a goal and an assist, and Ben Bishop made 32 saves to help the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Brian Boyle scored for the Lightning (25-24-7), who have won three of their past four games. It was Point's second goal in as many nights after he scored the tying goal in a 2-1 shootout loss at the Minnesota Wild on Friday. Jacob Trouba scored for the Jets (25-29-4), who lost their fourth straight game, fifth in a row at home. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves in his second start in two nights; he allowed three goals on 34 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. Winnipeg has allowed three or more goals in each of its past 15 games. Point tapped in a nifty backhand pass from Drouin from behind the net to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead at 12:05 of the first period. Drouin stole the puck from Winnipeg forward Blake Wheeler and worked his way around the zone before making a quick pass to Point in front.

Boyle made it 2-0 at 17:02 of the first when he tipped Hedman's point shot past Hellebuyck. Palat beat Hellebuyck with a wrist shot to the short side to make it 3-0 at 2:11 of the second period. Trouba scored to make it 3-1 at 11:15 of the third period, ending Bishop's bid for his second straight shutout. Dustin Byfuglien passed to Trouba moving in alone to Bishop's left, and Trouba's wrist shot went high to the short side. Hedman scored into an empty net from center ice with 26 seconds remaining to make it 4-1. Jets defenseman Toby Enstom left in the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no update after the game.

* Palat received a pass from Point just inside the Jets blue line and beat Hellebuyck with a quick shot high over his blocker.

* Bishop gloved a backhand by Nikolaj Ehlers with 5:12 left in the third period after the Jets forward got around Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman for a partial breakaway.

* After hitting Scheifele on the end boards and stealing the puck from Wheeler in the left faceoff circle, Drouin skated along the right wall, went behind the Winnipeg net, and sent a no-look backhand pass to Point on the right post to set up Tampa Bay's first goal.

* Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn had two shots on goal, two hits and three blocked shots in 19:19.

* Drouin has two goals and two assists in his past four games. ... Point has four goals in six games since returning from an upper-body injury. … The Jets have allowed 79 goals in their past 21 games, most in the NHL since Dec. 29.


"Our season is on the line. We have to come out with energy. I don't know what's happening. We're going to have to find a way with the boys all together and figure ourselves out." Mathieu Perreault said.
"We were playing from behind, and that makes it tough. This league's too good, especially playing against this team. I think they were in the Eastern Conference [Final] last year. They know what they're doing. They're starting to build some momentum and gain some confidence. It's that time of year. Playing from behind against teams like that makes it really difficult." Wheeler said.
"I'm not up here selling the young problem, as young as we were, [with] three pretty good players out of their lineup. We just aren't capable, or weren't capable, tonight of driving harder than we were. I ran the bench hard last night chasing the game at 2-1. Most of our guys who played over 20 minutes looked like it." Paul Maurice

Stars @ Jets 2-5 - Tuesday, February 14, 2017



Rookie forward Patrik Laine scored his third NHL hat trick, including the game-winning goal with 5:07 left, to help the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 victory against the Dallas Stars at MTS Centre. Laine scored his first goal in six games at 15:04 of the first period. His second gave the Jets a 3-2 lead at 14:53 of the third period and he completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal at 18:58. Laine has 26 goals this season, one behind Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews for the rookie goal scoring lead. Eight of Laine's goals have come against the Stars. Joel Armia and Blake Wheeler also scored for Winnipeg (26-29-4). Mark Scheifele had three assists, surpassing 200 points in his NHL career. Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves to avoid a third straight loss. The Jets ended a four-game losing streak overall and a five-game skid at home. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin scored for Dallas (22-26-10). Antti Niemi made 21 saves. The Stars are 1-6-0 this month. Armia gave the Jets a 2-0 lead at 7:37 of the second period. Benn scored his 19th to make it 2-1 at 8:43 after Jason Spezza, who returned after missing five games because of an upper-body injury, made a nice play at the Jets blue line to keep the puck in the zone. It was Benn's 500th NHL career point. Seguin tied it 2-2 at 13:35 on the power play, his wrist shot from the point getting through a screen and past Hellebuyck. Laine put Winnipeg back in front when he got the puck after Scheifele won a faceoff in the offensive zone and quickly sent a wrist shot past Niemi to make it 3-2. Wheeler scored an empty-net goal with 1:48 remaining. Winnipeg trails the Los Angeles Kings by four points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. Dallas is two points behind the Jets.

* Scheifele won a faceoff to Niemi's right back to Laine, who used a quick release to put the puck high and over Niemi's glove hand for the game-winner.

* Stars defenseman Dan Hamhuis got his stick on a shot from Nikolaj Ehlers, saving a sure goal on a wide open net with the game tied 2-2 in the third period.

* Laine scored from inside the Jets blue line to complete his hat trick.

* Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey had an assist, two shots, three hits and four blocked shots in 19:41.

* The Stars end their season series with the Jets with a 1-4-0 record. ... Benn has nine goals and nine assists in his past 13 games. ... Laine is the first rookie to have two hat tricks against the same team since former New York Rangers forward Tony Granato against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1988-89 season. ... Scheifele has seven goals and 10 assists in an eight-game point streak against the Stars.

"We had a serious meeting with the team after [a 4-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday]. We just figured we have to work harder and just try to be simple on the ice. I think we managed to do that."

"It's always nice to score. It was a huge game for me and my linemates and the whole team. These four last games haven't been that good, so it was just nice to have a game like this."
"I just want to play more simple. Just put pucks on the net and hope for the best. We had some good scoring chances and we were able to score. That's a good thing." Laine said.
"It's two teams fighting for their [playoff] lives. These guys were a playoff team last year and have a really talented squad over there. It's a really good hockey team. You could feel they were pushing for the same thing we were pushing for. It made it a playoff feel game, a 2-2 game going into the third with those implications, there was a lot of intensity, a lot of chances. It's fun hockey." Wheeler said.

NHL - Jets - Round Up February 02-07, 2017

Jets @ Stars 4-3 - Thursday, February 02, 2017

Ondrej Pavelec made 39 saves for the Winnipeg Jets in a 4-3 win against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. Pavelec made 14 saves in the third period to help Winnipeg (25-25-4) win a third straight game for the first time this season. Bryan Little gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead at 6:50 of the first period on a wrist shot over Kari Lehtonen's left shoulder. Dallas (21-21-10) tied it 1-1 when John Klingberg scored on the power play at 11:55. Klingberg picked up an initial shot by Jamie Benn and beat Pavelec on the stick side. Benn gave Dallas a 2-1 lead at 13:59. Pavelec couldn't hold Patrik Nemeth's initial shot and Benn scored on the rebound. Mark Scheifele tied it 2-2 with 53 seconds remaining in the first, and gave Winnipeg a 3-2 lead during a 5-on-3 power play at 5:55 of the second. Nikolaj Ehlers gave the Jets a 4-2 lead at 12:51 of the second, and Patrick Eaves cut the lead to 4-3 when he scored on a rebound at 17:58.

Benn hit the post at 15:03 of the third period on a wrist shot.

* Winnipeg took advantage of a turnover by Lehtonen and Ehlers scored into a vacated net.

* Pavelec stopped Tyler Seguin on a one-timer in the second period when Winnipeg led 3-2.

* Pavelec stopped Benn on a shorthanded breakaway 22 seconds before Scheifele gave the Jets the lead.
"It happened so quick. It was probably first breakaway of my career 5-on-3," Pavelec said. "So I didn't expect that, but I was just waiting for his move. I think we were both patient and waiting for what the other guy was [going to] do. It's a huge thing in this game to be patient. I tried to wait, wait and make the save."

* The Jets blocked four shots in the final 45 seconds, including one by Dustin Byfuglien with four seconds remaining.

"Our guys had a lot of blocks in there," Pavelec said. "It was good, you need that block. It's a really tight game, you need the luck to win the game."
* Scheifele scored his 25th goal; he had 29 last season. … Jets forward Mathieu Perreault played 8:11 after missing three games with a hand injury. … Stars forward Jason Spezza left the game after getting hit by Adam Lowry in the third period and is going to miss some time, Ruff said.
"Some high-end ones, too, on high-end shooters. The ones he could see and then a few that he didn't see until late. He was just tracking the puck so well. Best player on the ice." Paul Maurice said.

"Obviously, [Pavelec's] played in this league a long time. He's confident back there, a little bit of a calming presence back there, not a lot fazes him. We've been playing well in front of him. We've just got to continue to do that." Mark Scheifele

Jets @ Colorado Avalanche 2-5 - Saturday, February 02, 2017

Jarome Iginla had a goal and an assist to help the Colorado Avalanche end a nine-game losing streak with a 5-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Pepsi Center. Matt Nieto scored twice, including an empty-net goal with 38 seconds left, for the Avalanche (14-33-2). Matt Duchene tied his NHL career high with three assists, and Calvin Pickard made 23 saves to end his three-game losing streak. Colorado was 0-8-1, with five home losses in a row, since a 2-1 overtime victory against the New York Islanders on Jan. 6. Ondrej Pavelec made 23 saves for the Jets (25-26-4), who ended a four-game road trip 3-1-0. Colorado took a 3-2 lead at 8:03 of the second period on Nieto's third goal of the season. He passed to Patrick Wiercioch for a shot that bounced off the end boards into the right circle and knocked the puck into an open net. Carl Soderberg made it 4-2 at 2:04 of the third period by converting Iginla's pass for his fifth goal, first in 24 games. Winnipeg, which trailed 1-0 and 2-1, tied it 2-2 on a power-play goal by Adam Lowry, his second goal of the game, 29 seconds into the second period. He converted the rebound of Blake Wheeler's shot for his ninth goal. Lowry ended a 21-game drought with a first-period goal. Iginla made it 1-0 at 5:27 on a power play for his seventh of the season and 618th of his NHL career, seven behind Colorado general manager Joe Sakic, who is 15th all-time. Iginla scored from the top of the left circle with a wrist shot inside the near post. The Jets tied it 1-1 at 9:35 on Lowry's first goal before Nathan MacKinnon put the Avalanche in front 2-1 at 14:35 with his 12th.

* Soderberg gave the Avalanche a two-goal lead with a shot that beat Pavelec to the stick side.

* Pavelec stopped MacKinnon, who was open in the slot, at 6:00 of the second period.

* Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov had three hits, including one on Jets forward Mark Scheifele at 9:42 of the third period that resulted in a charging penalty.

"Man, did he level some guys," Duchene said.
* Duchene won 20 of 24 faceoffs (83 percent), the second highest total of his NHL career.
* Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie was scratched because of a lower-body injury. ... Jets forward Drew Stafford took part in warmups but missed his sixth consecutive game because of a lower-body injury. "We'll get another [practice] on him and if he clears that then he'll be able to play," Maurice said. ... Defenseman Mark Barberio played 20:31 in his Colorado debut after being claimed on waivers Thursday from the Montreal Canadiens.


"We had a number of players, and a big number, that weren't at their A game. Our goaltender was really good again and we didn't have a whole lot going up front. We didn't spend enough time in the offensive zone, which is what we're really good at." Paul Maurice said.
"Give credit to the Avalanche, they played a solid game and didn't really give us a lot of opportunities. We got caught puck-watching a little too much tonight. For whatever reason, their speed kind of dictated the game." Adam Lowry

Wild @ Jets 4-2 - Tuesday, February 07, 2017
Jason Pominville had two goals and two assists, and Devan Dubnyk made 38 saves for the Minnesota Wild in a 4-2 win against the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre. Minnesota (35-12-5) won three of four games on its road trip through Western Canada and Winnipeg, and has won five of its past six. The Wild, who lead the Western Conference, are 3-0-0 this season against the Jets. Dubnyk has 29 wins, tied for the NHL lead with Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nino Niederreiter (at 11:51) and Pominville (with 41 seconds left) scored in the first period for Minnesota. The Wild took a 3-0 lead 2:33 into the second period on Pominville's second. Niederreiter scored into an empty net with 1:19 remaining in the third period. Charlie Coyle, who played the first and second periods at center between Niederreiter and Pominville, had three assists for Minnesota. In the third, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau went down to three lines to try to protect the lead and used Coyle on a line with center Eric Staal and left wing Zach Parise. Bryan Little and Joel Armia scored second-period goals for the Jets (25-27-4), who outshot the Wild 40-25. Winnipeg goalie Ondrej Pavelec, making his eighth start in the past nine games, left at 6:15 of the second period with a lower-body injury. Connor Hellebuyck replaced Pavelec and made saves on all 10 shots he faced. Wild forward Mikael Granlund failed to score on a penalty shot at 3:48 of the third period, and his NHL season-high point streak ended at 12 games. Granlund was awarded the penalty shot after Winnipeg defenseman Dustin Byfuglien shot Jason Zucker's dropped stick at him in the Jets zone.

* Niederreiter scored his first goal off the rush, using Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey as a screen and snapping a hard shot past Pavelec.

* Dubnyk turned away two shots by Byfuglien with less than four minutes remaining in the second period. He made a right-pad save on Byfuglien's slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle with 3:47 remaining before getting his glove on the defenseman's wrist shot from the right circle with 3:41 remaining.

* Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon saved a sure goal at 7:50 of the second period. Byfuglien's point shot was deflected by Adam Lowry, went off Dubnyk's shoulder, dropped in the crease, and spun toward the goal line. Spurgeon dove and played the puck to the boards, barely beating Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele's diving attempt to knock it in.

* In addition to his diving save, Spurgeon was plus-1 and led the Wild with four blocked shots in 26:35.

* Coyle had one assist in his previous six games. ... Little, who missed the first two games of the season against Minnesota because of injury, has eight goals in the past nine games. He has 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in that span. ... The Wild go home for eight straight games at Xcel Energy Center. ... The Jets announced Tuesday that defenseman Tyler Myers had surgery to repair a lower-body injury Monday and will be out 6-8 weeks. They have dressed their top six defensemen for one game this season, on Nov. 11.

Jets Quotes

"Against the best team in our conference, I think we were better than they were over the course of the game. I know we're a [heck] of lot better than we've been in a long time." Paul Maurice said.
"You can't take the effort from us. We've had problems with that this year, but if we can have the effort, and get a few lucky bounces, I think we have a good chance of winning these games." Nikolaj Ehlers

Wild Quotes

"[Coyle] was buzzing, moving well, made some plays. A couple of turnovers and we were able to get some rushes and we were able to pick corners. That's always nice. He looked good in both positions. He's a big part of the team. Nice that he got rewarded tonight."
"I feel good. I feel comfortable. I don't know if I'm doing a lot of things different, but I'm just getting rewarded a little more for it." Pominville said.
"I thought [Coyle] was our best player. Nothing in this team surprises me right now. I mean, it seems like there's a different hero every night. Charlie [Coyle] is a good player, and he doesn't get a lot of notice." Boudreau said.

Whitley Bay Islanders Claim Emphatic Win Over Newcastle Predators

Had any Whitley Warriors supporters walked into Hillheads Ice Rink around 10pm Sunday evening, they might just have believed they had been transported back to in time to 1998.
Kevin Bucas, James Waller and Bobby Bradley were all out on the ice, doing what they do best, delivering huge hits, scoring lots of goals and racking up a large score line in the process.
Indeed, had it not been for the fact that trio were decked out in the yellow jerseys of the Whitley Bay Islanders, this could well have been a Warriors game from around the turn of the millennium.
All three players had a prominent role, as the Islanders served notice to their Summer Cup rivals that they are a team not to be taken lightly this season, after a comprehensive 14-1 victory over Tyneside rivals, Newcastle Predators.

The Islanders who were the designated away team, looked classy throughout and were a goal to the good just seconds into the contest when Liam Brown finished a smart move from Craig Thompson and Phil Atherton.
That lead was then doubled at 1:49 when James Waller netted with his first of the evening.
At that stage the rampant Islanders looked to run riot, but the Predators were able to stop the bleeding and it wasn’t until the nine minute mark that the Islanders could add to their lead.
"We had a good start but it descended into a bit of a scrappy game after 10 minutes or so," said Waller who also grabbed the Islanders' third goal. "We took a lot more Penalties than we would of liked too. Still, it gave us a chance to work on our penalty kill at least."

The former Warriors winger was in fine form and was breezing past the Predators defense, somehow finding space between opponents and the boards, that others couldn’t. His partnership with former Warriors team mate Bradley and Left Wing, Liam Telfer will be vital to the Islanders again this season and that trio certainly linked up well, combining for six of their teams goals, but it was the line of Liam Brown-Craig Thompson-Phil Atherton who took the plaudits.
They also combined for six goals, with Atherton awarded man-of-the-match for his side too. For the Islanders that was great news, giving them two scoring lines, and taking some of the pressure off the top trio. Atherton's line also had some new members on the blue line, meaning a brand new five man unit out on the ice.
"The game gave the coach [Tony Armstrong], a chance to try out some new line combinations." Waller said. "The Bucas-Huntley Defense pairing started with Atherton-Thompson-Brown, who would normally line up with Haslam-Richardson."

With the score at 3-0 as the teams made their way into the second period, the Predators were far from out of it, but the Islanders had other ideas and soon exploded for a further six goals to take the game away from their opponents. Liam Brown, fresh from playing for the Warriors earlier in the season tapped home into an almost empty net at 24:33, before his line-mate on the opposite wing, Atherton made it five just over a minute later.

By now both sides were reduced to playing 4-on-4 and it was the Islanders who exploited that best. A minute after Atherton’s goal, Bobby Bradley scored his first of the game as the pair got involved in their own personal scoring contest. Atherton netted again at 34:19 but then Bradley countered with his second of the night just over a minute later. Atherton still had time to complete his hat trick before the period was over though, to make it 9-0 at 38:10.

Despite some great individual scoring feats for the likes of Bradley, Atherton and Liam Brown, the goals were still spread around the team some what. Paul Scott, who was playing on a line with Chris Brown and former Warriors Center, Ben Buckley, netted just ten seconds into the final period, as the Islanders exerted their superiority, and it was a goal Waller was delighted about.
"It was nice for a few of the lads to pick up goals," he added. "Especially a great goal for Paul 'Scotty' Scott assisted by Junior legend Chris Brown."

By now the game was long since over as a contest, but that didn’t mean either team was going to give an inch. Kevin Bucas gave a master class in the art of hitting, and showed just why so many Warriors fans wished he was still patrolling their blue line. On his first shift ‘Juice’ delivered a full-bloodied hit to show he meant business and was still dealing them out deep into the final period.

With just over ten minutes left in the game, came a major flash point. Both teams were unhappy at a series of hits which culminated in a mini-brawl and saw James Waller of the Islanders and Carl Wood of the Predators earning themselves a trip to the penalty box.
That meant both sides were reduced to 4-on-4 again and once more it was the Islanders who dealt with the situation better.
Raymond Haslam looked class all evening and when he unleashed a rocket of a shot that was well outside the blue line, it gave the Predators Canadian goalie, Brent Hope no chance.
Just 27 seconds later, Bradley completed his hat trick with a great solo effort, taking the puck past a number of players before slotting home.
It was a busy evening for Hope, who has joined the Predators this season but the same couldn't really be said for his opposite number.

Calvin Khass had a relatively quiet evening between the pipes for the Islanders, and was inching nearer to a shut-out, but the Predators made sure they wouldn’t leave the game with a goose egg on the score board when Martin King converted at 51:18.

There was still time for another 4-on-4, and that meant further goals for the Islanders. Liam Brown slotted home after another rocket-like shot from Haslam caromed back off Hope and Bobby Bradley completed the scoring at 53:09 to get his fourth of the night. His line-mate Waller, believed it was ideal preparation for his side.
"The game was a good chance to stretch our legs as it was the first action that several members of the team had played since August 2016." he said. "It was the second of three pre-season games for the team before the Summer Cup League schedule begins."
"Obviously it's always nice to get a 14-1 win, especially following the big win two weeks previous for the other half of the squad." he added.

The Islanders certainly put down a marker ahead of their Summer Cup campaign, with a huge win over a good Predators side.
The return to the ice of Kevin Bucas was one of the many highlights during the game. His first shift delivering a huge hit, and it was certainly nice to know some things never change.
And it was the effort his team put in that Islanders coach and former Whitley Warriors defenseman Tony Armstrong was pleased with.
"It was a great team performance and it was great to see the team effort." He said. "The depth that the squad has at the moment is fantastic."

It will be that strength in depth which could prove vital when the Islanders commence their Summer Cup campaign in the coming weeks. With preparations building, they take to the ice again next Sunday, against the Hull City Knights [Face Off 4pm].


Whilst it was a perfect result for the Islanders, it was a much tougher night for the Predators, who are next in action in a fortnight's time when they take part in the annual Dumfries Tournament over the weekend on March 11-12 before their Northern Rec Cup campaign gets underway in April.
Forward 'Doug' Penaluna felt playing the Islanders was still a good work out for his side despite the scoreline.
"We always expect a tough game when we play the Islanders," he said. "They have bags of experience and they are very well drilled. They have quite a few ex league players too so they were never going to be a push over. Naturally we would have liked a closer game but obviously they were the superior team on the night."
Penaluna, who also ices for the Whitley Bay Lightning, believes facing such a strong side was perfect preparation for Dumfries. 
"It's always good to get some matches in before a tournament." he said. "We never pick and choose which teams we play, we are happy to take on all comers and don't shy away from anyone."
"The Dumfries tournament is always a tough weekend too, so hopefully playing a team like the Islanders has given us all a heads up for what to expect in Scotland." he added.
The Predators player also reserved a special mention to the Predators Canadian born Goaltender Brent Hope, who made a particularly great save towards the end of the game.
"Brent had a really good game on Sunday," he said. "Obviously we conceded a lot of goals but he had a hell of a lot of saves to make in that 60 minutes. He had a huge lay off from the game too, and I don't think he has played for over a decade, until a few months ago."
Like Penaluna, Hope is duel registered with the Lightning. But he was not the only North American born player to take to the ice for the Predators on Sunday. American born Ronald Christopher, who hails from Missouri, iced as a forward against the Islanders but is usually found between the pipes just like his cross-Atlantic team-mate.
"Ron is actually a Goalie too but hasn't had his kit sent over from the States, so he is playing as a forward right now." confirmed Penaluna. "He's got good fitness, which goes a long way in Rec hockey, but we're all intrigues to see what he's like between the pipes." he added.

For further information on either team please check out their websites:

http://freeteams.com/whitleybayislanders/

https://twitter.com/wbayislanders?lang=en

http://newcastlepredators.co.uk/ 

https://twitter.com/predatorsihc?lang=en

Also a huge thank you goes to Whitley Bay Ice Hockey and David Mellstrom for the Photos.

Islanders Line Up

3 Liam Telfer - 25 Bobby Bradley - 88 James Waller

44 Liam Brown - 86 Craig Thompson - 33 Phil Atherton

91 Chris Brown - 13 Ben Buckley - 8 Paul Scott

58 Jon Huntley - 77 Kevin Bucas

14 Raymond Haslam - 6 Tim Richardson

2 Steve Laidler - 17 Graeme Leslie

20 Calvin Khass

Newcastle Predators

90 Shaun Osbourne - 70 Anthony Charters - 65 Jake Shanks

11 Ian Russell - 20 Paul Brumby - 17 Stuart Davis

13 Stuart Darby - 16 Curt Elgie - 36 Jamie 'Doug' Penaluna

5 Derek Hodgkiss - 90 Shaun Osbourne - 21 Ronald Christopher

55 Mark Bone - 40 Lee Gill

19 Carl Wood - 80 Martin King

69 Graeme Nelson - 4 Adam Winter

1 Brent Hope - Simon Barry

KHL - Playoffs - Round 1 - SKA v Vityaz - SKA Win Series 4-0

Game 1 - SKA v Vityaz 3-1 - Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Vityaz made its playoff debut away to red-hot favorite SKA, and ended up paying the penalty for giving the home team’s power play too many opportunities. With the Army Men’s offensive power well known to anyone who has followed the KHL this season, it was obvious that Vityaz’ first task would be to frustrate a roster stacked with talented forwards. For much of the first period, the visitor managed that fairly well, but it all went wrong in the last five minutes. Two penalties in quick succession undermined Vityaz’ efforts: the first was killed, but almost immediately Igor Golovkov got a minor for slashing and this time SKA struck. Anton Belov was the scorer, with the defenseman flashing home a one-timer off Vadim Shipachyov’s feed in the last minute of the opening stanza. Vityaz responded in the middle session, soaking up more SKA pressure before Alexander Nikulin led a lightning counter-attack that ended with Alexei Makeyev firing home the equalizer. But another penalty handed the initiative right back to the home team, and confusion among the four players left to defend the net saw the puck bounce into the path of Nikita Gusev for the 2-1 goal. Any hopes of a third-period fightback were quashed early on. Evgeny Dadonov picked up his second point of the night when his shot rattled the underside of the crossbar and dropped over the line. It took a video review to confirm the goal, but once SKA had a two-goal cushion it could hold Vityaz at arm’s length until the hooter.

Game 2 - SKA v Vityaz 7-2 - Thursday, February 23, 2017

SKA proved far too strong for Vityaz as the Army Men celebrated Defenders of the Fatherland day with an emphatic playoff victory. Evgeny Dadonov contributed two points once again, taking his post-season tally to two goals and two assist from two games. There were also two goals from Evgeny Ketov one goal and two assists for Patrik Hersley and a pair of assists from Anton Belov, who also scored in game one. SKA’s offense was rampant from the start, eventually firing in 40 shots on the Vityaz net. Igor Saprykin faced 17 of those efforts in the first period, allowing two goals as Ketov and Dadonov put the home team in a comfortable position. That was enough to persuade Valery Belov to bring Harri Sateri back onto the ice at the first intermission, but with SKA outshooting Vityaz by 13-4, the Finn could do little to help his team. Ketov made it 3-0, Pavel Datsyuk got his stick on to Hersley’s shot to add a fourth and Jarno Koskiranta turned in a Belov effort for 5-0. Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi pulled one goal back for Vityaz before the intermission, but the damage was done.
Hersley added a goal to his pair of assists in the 47^th minute and, after Jakub Jerabek got a second for Vityaz, Ilya Kovalchuk rounded off the scoring with a power play goal off a Belov feed. With its offense in such irresistible form, it’s hard to see how Vityaz can find a way back into this series, but the arrival of playoff hockey in Podolsk on Saturday will at least give Belov’s team a chance to regroup in front of its own supporters.

Game 3 - Vityaz v SKA 2-6 - Saturday, February 25, 2017

Vityaz hosted a KHL playoff game for the first time, but it was Pavel Datsyuk who enjoyed the party. The veteran SKA forward scored a beautiful goal and contributed two assists as the Army Men powered to a convincing victory.
SKA took control with a couple of power play goals. First, Datsyuk fed Patrik Hersley for a shot from the blue line and the Swedish D-man picked up his second goal in successive games. Then, early in the second period, another power play saw the same pair combine. This time, though, Hersley’s shot took a deflection from Evgeny Ketov on its way into the net.
The game was increasingly fractious, and Vityaz pulled a goal back with the teams playing 4-on-3. Alexander Nikulin scored it, collecting Jakub Jerabek’s pass to score from a tight angle. SKA, however, was in no mood to relinquish its grip on the game or the series. Quickfire goals from Roman Rukavishnikov and Nikita Gusev stretched the advantage before Datsyuk brought his bit of magic to the ice early in the third period. It was a self-made goal, intercepting a pass in center ice before advancing, dancing round Alexei Semenov and evading the attentions of Igor Golovkov before ripping a trademark backhand shot past Harri Sateri to make it 5-1. Alexei Kopeikin pulled one back for Vityaz in the closing stages, but the game was long gone. There was time for a third Vityaz goal to be ruled out by the video official in the last minute before Ilya Kovalchuk scored into the empty net to wrap up another convincing SKA victory. The teams meet again on Monday with Vityaz needing a victory to avoid being swept on its first KHL playoff appearance.

Game 4 - Vityaz v SKA 1-7 - Monday, February 27, 2017

SKA powered into the Conference semi-finals after a convincing victory in Podolsk completed a sweep over Vityaz. Not only did the Petersburg team deny Vityaz a single post-season victory, it did so in a manner that left little doubt as to where the balance of power lay. Not once could Vityaz argue it ran Oleg Znarok’s team close in a series where the Army Men scored 23 goals and allowed just six at the other end. Three first-period goals settled the outcome of this game, and with it, the series, as a thoroughly professional SKA performance left no room for any revival from the outsider.
Jarno Koskiranta opened the scoring in the fourth minute, converting an early power play when he got the decisive touch on a Patrik Hersley slap shot. Vityaz looked to respond immediately, but after Mario Kempe wasted a chance on a breakaway, SKA went straight up the ice and doubled the lead. Vadim Shipachyov, left out of the team on Saturday, got the goal after Nikita Gusev’s charge turned defense into offense. Vityaz goalie Harri Sateri will be disappointed not to have reached a shot over his glove despite being screened when Shipachyov fired the puck. Soon after it was 3-0, Sergei Shirokov enjoying the extra space on another power play and scoring from close range. With the game effectively over inside nine minutes, SKA went on to extend its lead. Koskiranta got his second in the 27^thminute, then Nikolai Prokhorkin got his first playoff goal of the season in the 32^nd before Evgeny Dadonov wrapped it up with a power play goal in the final second of the middle session. The final stanza saw Alexei Makeyev pull a goal back for Vityaz but Dadonov had the final say with a last-minute goal to wrap up an emphatic victory. Vityaz’ first look at the KHL playoffs is over; SKA can rest a week before beginning its Conference Semi-Final series on March 8.

KHL - Playoffs - Round 1 - CSKA Moscow v Jokerit - CSKA Win Series 4-0

Game 1 - CSKA v Jokerit 4-2 - Tuesday, February 21, 2017

A fast start from CSKA left Jokerit with too much to do, but the final outcome was overshadowed by a series of brawls late in the game. For Jokerit, which was criticized for not being tough enough after last season’s first-round loss against Torpedo, the evident willingness to mix it might offer some consolation. But the truth is that the Finns’ hopes of getting something from this game were all but over inside seven minutes. A combative start from the visitor spilled over into an early penalty against Brian O'Neill, and from the power play Bogdan Kiselevich exchange passes with Stephane Da Costa before firing home the opening goal. Despite the game starting half an hour later than Lokomotiv’s meeting with Dinamo Minsk, Kiselevich also claimed the first goal of this year’s post-season. Things quickly got even better for the home team, with Greg Scott making it 2-0 on 6:05. Jan Mursak tidied up a loose puck behind the net and brought play back out in front where Scott glided into the danger zone to shoot past Ryan Zapolski. Jokerit improved, but could not find a way back into the game until midway through the second period when Antti Pihlstrom scored against his former club. But Kiselevich quickly responded to make it 3-1 with his second of the night. Only in the third did the visitor start to really stretch CSKA. Mika Niemi rattled the post after 45 minutes, then a desperate challenge by Grigory Panin resulted in a penalty shot for Tommi Huhtala. But Huhtala could not beat Ilya Sorokin as the young goalie calmly dropped his blocker on the puck, and the two-goal advantage remained. The importance of Sorokin’s save was underlined two minutes later when a powerful Ville Lajunen shot made it 2-3, but Vladimir Zharkov had the final say with an empty net goal to seal the win. That wasn’t the end of the action, though. Two separate rumbles in the last 20 seconds left both penalty boxes full to overflowing. Both teams finished with five players in the bin, while Oliver Lauridsen and Pavel Karnaukhov got an early look at the showers. Game two on Thursday promises to be a bruising encounter.

Game 2 - CSKA v Jokerit 2-1 OT - Thursday, February 23, 2017

CSKA will be wondering why it needed overtime to get the better of Jokerit after dominating the second game of this series. The Army Men generated far more offense in the first 60 minutes, but gave up a power play goal to Tommi Huhtala in the third period and allowed Jokerit to tie the game with its only shot on goal in the final stanza. The visitor was more adventurous in overtime, knowing that merely inviting pressure could only end in eventual defeat, but despite a lively start to the extras Jokerit struggled to get into CSKA territory. And, even if the home team was not always able to generate clear shooting opportunities, the pressure eventually told. Sergei Andronov was the man in the right place at the right time to force home the game-winner on 71:15. Igor Ozhiganov fired in a shot from the blue line, and Vladimir Zharkov battled for the rebound on the slot. The puck bounced off a Jokerit defenseman and dropped kindly for Andronov, who stuffed it into the net to win the game and put CSKA in control of this series ahead of Saturday’s game in Helsinki.
Both teams finished the previous game in a fired-up mood after a series of skirmishes in the dying seconds of CSKA’s 4-2 victory. Once the dust – and disciplinary action – had settled, it was the home team that seemed to be less affected by sideshow from game one. CSKA had the better of the opening session without managed to convert a 14-5 shot count into a tangible advantage. But the home team got the lead it deserved early in the second, thanks to a superb pass from Valery Nichushkin. He collected the puck on his own blue line, and turned away from the defenseman who was trying to pressure him. A combination of vision and precision saw Nichushkin fire a diagonal pass to pick out Maxim Mamin on the other blue line, and Mamin got in front of Rasmus Rissanen before beating Ryan Zapolski in the visitor’s net.
That should have been enough. CSKA’s defense was limiting Jokerit to half chances and the host seemed by far the more likely team to score again. But a penalty on Artyom Sergeyev early in the third period halted that momentum and brought Jokerit level. Charles Genoway was the architect, advancing from the blue line, drawing Vladimir Zharkov out of position and slipping the puck back to Huhtala. The Finn needed no second invitation, slapping home a one-timer from the face-off spot to make it 1-1.

Game 3 - Jokerit v CSKA 3-4 OT - Saturday, February 25, 2017

A second overtime win in successive games moved CSKA to within one victory of wrapping up this series, while Jokerit was left frustrated once again. After tying 3-3 in regulation, CSKA came out for the extras in determined mood. Kirill Petrov hit the post in the first minute of overtime but Jokerit’s reprieve was short-lived as Jan Mursak claimed the game-winner. Andrei Svetlakov brought the puck out of the corner and spotted Mursak making a dart into the danger zone from the blue line. A perfectly-weighted pass found the Slovenian international in a shooting lane and his whipped the puck past Ryan Zapolski to win the game. The early exchanges were all about Stephane Da Costa. The French international opened the scoring in the 16^th minute, getting the vital deflection on Artyom Sergeyev’s shot from the point. Then his assist early in the second period helped Maxim Mamin deflect a Bogdan Kiselevich shot past Ryan Zapolski to make it 2-0.
Jokerit, knowing that defeat here would all but end its playoff campaign, rallied. Brian O’Neill scored a power play goal to halve the deficit before Tommi Huhtala tied it up early in the third period. CSKA responded within 62 seconds, Alexander Popov claiming a power play goal. Valery Nichushkin’s shot deflected against the inside of the post, and Popov was alive to the opportunity and pushed the puck into the empty net. However, it wasn’t enough to win it. A well-worked power play goal from Ville Lajunen, who found space in the right-hand circle to despatch O’Neill’s pass, brought the scores level and took the game into overtime. But Jokerit’s hopes that it would carry the greater momentum into the extras were hampered by a penalty that carried over the 60-minute mark, enabling CSKA to take the game to the Finns from the start and force a winner quickly.

Game 4 - Jokerit v CSKA 0-1 OT - Monday, February 27, 2017

Jokerit made CSKA wait for its place in the second phase of this season’s playoffs, but an overtime winner from Geoff Platt was enough to break the deadlock in this one and take Dmitry Kvartalnov’s team through in four games.
It deep into overtime, and this encounter was still awaiting its first goal. Platt, aggrieved over an earlier marker that was ruled out, chased down a Mikhail Naumenkov pass from the blue line as it thudded into the boards. Coming back on the wraparound, his first attempt found Ryan Zapolski’s pads, but the second stuffed the puck beyond the goalie. A video review confirmed that Zapolski’s resistance, which amounted to 39 saves, was over. CSKA was safely through.
Each game in this series has got closer, and with CSKA on the brink of winning the series, this one proved tighter than ever.
The first period was a distinctly cautious affair, with Jokerit reluctant to expose itself to the visitor’s counter-attacks while CSKA was happy to wait for the home team to try to raise the tempo. In the second, things started to liven up, with the Army Men fired by a sense of injustice after a 25^th-minute goal was ruled out. Alexander Popov thought he had opened the scoring when he pressured Jokerit’s defense into an error then forced the puck into the net, but the video review ruled that he had kicked it over the line. Unluckily for Popov, Russia’s football season restarts next weekend. And CSKA was on the wrong side of the TV once again in the third when Platt tucked away the rebound from his own shot, only to be pulled up for goalie interference. Jokerit was struggling for good looks at Ilya Sorokin’s net, but managed a couple of testers from Ville Lajunen in the last minutes as the game headed into overtime. The pattern of regulation proved to be the pattern of overtime. CSKA had more of the puck and more of the chances, although a dangerous breakout from Jesse Joensuu might have won it for the Finns not long before Platt’s goal. For the second year running, though, CSKA made it through the opening round without losing a game despite being taken to overtime more than once by its opponent. The Moscow team now has more than a week to recover before starting its next series on March 8.