It was a quite a scene as playoff hockey returned to Winnipeg for the first time in almost 20 years. But just when it looked like the Jets were going to send the fans home happy, the Ducks scored two unanswered goals, including the overtime winner, to defeat the Jets 5-4.
Nine different players scored goals in this game. Lee Stempniak started the scoring 9:38 into the game to put the Jets up 1-0. Adam Lowry and Jacob Trouba got the assists. As time was running out in the first, Cam Fowler put the Ducks on the board with his first goal of the playoffs, a shorthanded goal with just seven seconds left in the period.
Anaheim got on the board first in a crazy second period, with Corey Perry putting in his third goal of the series. Hampus Lindholm and Francois Beauchemin got the assists. Then, a contentious moment came when Dustin Byfuglien sucker punched Perry after the goal. Byfuglien got a two minute roughing penalty. Just about two minutes later Anaheim was called for too many men on the ice and it gave Winnipeg a power play. The Jets took advantage with Tyler Myers scoring his first goal of the series, unassisted. Winnipeg took back the lead at 3-2 with a Blake Wheeler goal just under three minutes later, his first of the series. Drew Stafford and Tobias Enstrom got the assists. Jakob Silfverberg, the hero of game two, evened up the game with his second goal of the series 16:04 into the period. Ryan Kesler got the assist. Undeterred, the Jets took back the lead before the period ended with a goal from Bryan Little with under two minutes left in the period, unassisted.
The third period was a lot calmer than the second, with the lone goal coming off the stick of Ryan Kesler, 17:46 into the period. Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano assisted. With the game tied at 4-4, it went to overtime. It took 5:12 to get a winner, but Rickard Rakell scored his first of the playoffs for the Ducks to win it. Beauchemin and Cogliano got the assists.
In each game this series, the Jets have led after two periods and lost every game. They are the first team in NHL playoff history to do so.
Neither goaltender played well in this game. Frederik Andersen allowed four goals on 35 shots, a save percentage of .886. Ondrej Pavelec was worse, with five goals allowed on 31 shots for a .839 save percentage. Goaltending and defense were key in the Jets surprise playoff run this season, both of those areas must be better if they want to avoid getting swept in this series on Wednesday, when the series resumes for game four.