First line players came out to play

The Winnipeg Jets have some of the best players in hockey and they came out to play Sunday night. It started with Mark Scheifele.

He is one of the best two-way centers in hockey and also can put up significant points. In the first round of the playoffs he had seven points in six games. He increased the total in the first two games of the second round.

Nashville also has a top line that can do some damage. Ryan Johansen centers the top line with Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson who can score at will.

Johansen was injured in the conference finals last year and suffered a significant leg injury. This year he is at full strength and can play at both ends of the ice.

  • He won over 40 per cent of the faceoffs in Game 2 and finished the game a +2 for the Predators.

  • Predators strike first

  • The Nashville Predators came out with something to prove in Game 2 of the second-round series. The speed was evident from the start and off an icing call Ryan Johansen buried the shot over the shoulder of Connor Hellebuyck. The building was alive!

  • The teams traded power play opportunities and then the Jets tied the game on a four on four. Mark Scheifele kept the puck in at the blue line and found Dustin Byfuglien skating down the wing and he buried under the pad of Pekka Rinne. It was a questionable goal and one Rinne wanted back.

  • The Jets took the lead less then 40 seconds later. Mark Scheifele scored on the power play. Patrik Laine missed the net and Paul Statsny passed the puck in front and Scheifele buried it.

  • Special teams

  • P.K. Subban tied the game early in the third period. He took a slap shot from the point and through a maze of bodies it found the back of the net. Both teams are struggling on the power play including the opening round of the playoffs.

  • The teams both had good opportunity's, but the penalty killers are both very aggressive and they effect the shots the teams get.

  • The game had a lot of pace and there were many turnovers. Patrik Laine picked off a Filip Forsberg pass and ripped it off the post. P.K. Subban was then caught by Blake Wheeler and Rinne made an impressive save to keep the game tied.

  • Viktor Arvidsson broke the tie with only 1:19 remaining in the second period as Ben Chariot was caught at his own blue line and Arvidsson blew a slap shot over the right pad of Hellebuyck.

  • Wild third period

  • Matthias Ekholm was caught in the third period and Brandon Tanev made him pay. He took the puck and finished at the net with a nice solo effort. 
  • A little over 30 seconds later Scheifele missed the net and Nashville brought it back up the ice. It was like a fast break and Johansen buried the opportunity to give Nashville the lead again.
  • The Predators had the lead until Winnipeg pulled the goalie and Mark Scheifele buried his second opportunity of the sequence. He hit the post, but the puck came back to him seconds after and he tied the game.

  • Overtime magic

  • The teams both had major opportunities and the goalies both played great. Rinne made a pivotal save four minutes into the second overtime on Josh Morrissey and then the momentum shifted. Toby Enstrom got caught pinching and Craig Smith found Kevin Fiala open in front and he buried the shot past Connor Hellebuyck.
  • This was the first overtime game for the Jets this postseason. It was Fiala's third of the postseason and the series is now tied heading back to Winnipeg.
  • Pekka Rinne turned aside 46 of the 50 shots he faced and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 37 of the 41.
  • The teams both had 10 penalty minutes each and the special teams battle could determine the rest of the series.
  • Game 3 goes Tuesday night from the MTS Center in Winnipeg.

  • Who wins Game 3? Will it be another overtime game? Leave your comments below!