Jets don’t quit, but lose in shootout

Burmistrov’s big goal gives Jets a win The Bombers wrap-up another year of d...

Jets don’t quit, but lose in shootout

By Scott Taylor

You have to give the Winnipeg Jets a little credit. Despite losing 3-2 in a shootout in Ottawa on Thursday night, they certainly didn’t quit.

After falling behind 2-0, the Jets got a goal from Andrew Ladd, his fourth of the season, at the 17:19 mark of the second period and then another from Dustin Byfuglien (also his fourth of the year) at the 26 second mark – in a four-on-four situation – of the third to tie the game and send it to extra time.

Big save by Michael Hutchinson.

Nothing was settled during the rather exciting five-minute three-on-three circus, but in the shootout, Jets goalie Michael Hutchinson was beaten three straight times — by Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris and Mika Zibanejad — as Ottawa picked up the 3-2 win and the extra point.

Ryan and Cody Ceci scored for Ottawa in regulation time but there was little question that the star of the game was Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson. This was a game that could have tilted in the Jets favor at any time. In fact, Bryan Little missed three perfect chances in regulation and another in overtime as the Jets outshot Ottawa 40-31 – 14-7 in the third period and 7-3 in overtime.

Byfuglien was the best player on the ice for the Jets. He had a goal, five hits and seven shots on goal in a whopping 28 minutes and four seconds of ice time.

Despite the loss, the Jets did pick up a point and finished the four-game road trip with a record of 2-1-1. Getting five points out of a possible eight on the road isn’t perfect but it’s not bad.

Bryan Little heads to the net.

Still, the Jets had so many glorious chances to not only win this game, but to bury the Senators early. This was a case of too many missed opportunities. Anderson was so good that after giving up a goal to Blake Wheeler in the shootout, he stopped Andrew Ladd and that’s all he had to do. His teammates beat Hutchinson three times and that was it.

The Jets fell(?) to 8-4-2 on the season and with 18 points are alone in third in the Central Division (Minnesota and Nashville, tied for fourth, have played three fewer games). Hutchinson, who suffered the OT loss, is now 4-1-1 on the season.

The Jets will return home and play a single game on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers at MTS centre at 6 p.m., before heading back out on the road for another four-game stint against Minnesota, Dallas, Nashville and St. Louis.