Wild Drop Game 1 To Jets, 3-2
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Defenseman Joe Morrow broke a tie with 6:13 left and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 1 for the first playoff victory in franchise history.
In its only other playoff appearances since joining the NHL in 1999 in Atlanta, the franchise was swept in 2006-07 by the New York Rangers and 2011 by Anaheim.
Nikolaj Ehlers set up the Morrow at the point for a one-timer that beat goalie Devan Dubnyk. Morrow was acquired at the trade deadline from Montreal in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick this summer.
Mark Schiefele, with a power-play goal, and Patrik Laine also scored for Winnipeg, and Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves.
Matt Cullen and Zach Parise scored for Minnesota, and Dubnyk stopped 37 shots.
Game 2 is Friday night in Winnipeg.
Laine tied it at 2 at 4:51 of the third period, putting a high wrist shot past Dubnyk on the glove side.
Winnipeg outshot Minnesota 13-4 in the scoreless first period. Dubnyk had to make a couple of big saves in the last three minutes, including a pair from close in by Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Copp.
The Jets had the game's first power play 24 seconds into the middle period after Minnesota'se Eric Staal was called for tripping.
Dubnyk made a save on a blast from Scheifele, while two of Laine's trademark blasts from the right circle went wide of the net and the other was blocked by Nate Prosser's arm.
Byfuglien was sent to the box six minutes later for roughing and Minnesota put a few shots at Hellebuyck, but it was the Jets who capitalized on their second chance with the man advantage.
Twenty seconds after Prosser was called for holding, Blake Wheeler sent a pass to an open Scheifele in the slot for his one-time at 17:37.
The Wild outshot the Jets 12-8 in the second.
Cullen took a backhand pass from Jordan Wheeler and beat Hellebuyck on the blocker side at 1:46 of third period to tie it.
Parise quickly put the visitors ahead at 3:58 on a 2-on-1 with Mikael Granlund after a Winnipeg turnover.
Laine's tying goal came 53 seconds later after Jets center Paul Stastny absorbed a hit to give Laine some time and space.
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