Recap: Ducks Can't Protect Early Lead in 5-2 Loss to Jets

The Winnipeg Jets broke a third-period tie with a pair of goals just 49 seconds apart, defeating the Ducks 5-2 today at Canada Life Centre.
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The loss pushed Anaheim's winless streak to six games and capped the club's four-game road trip at 0-2-2. The Ducks fell to 6-17-3 on the season and 2-11-2 on the road.
Jakob Silfverberg and Brett Leason each tallied goals, helping Anaheim jump out to a 2-0 lead early in the second period. Frank Vatrano and Kevin Shattenkirk added assists.
Anthony Stolarz made 35 saves in his seventh start of the season.
Saku Maenalanen, Dylan Samberg, Morgan Barron, Mark Scheifele and Nate Schmidt scored for the Jets, who improved to 15-7-1 (31 points) on the season and moved within one point of the Dallas Stars atop the Central Division.
Connor Hellebuyck earned his second win of the season over the Ducks, and his 11th overall, stopping 28-of-30 shots. The former Vezina Trophy winner has won each of his last four starts and ranks third among NHL netminders in save percentage (.931).
The Ducks came out flying with a strong first period, firing 18 shots on net and taking an early lead on Silfverberg's goal scored just moments after a second power-play opportunity had expired.
With Jets defenseman Neal Pionk just leaving the penalty box, Shattenkirk spotted Vatrano open in front, delivering a pass right on target which Vatrano tried to shovel through the goaltender. Hellbuyck made the first stop, but the rebound kicked right to Silfverberg, who swiped it home with Hellebuyck sprawled to the right side of his crease.

The goal snapped a 15-game scoreless drought for Silfverberg and moved him within two of tying Bobby Ryan (147) for seventh-most in franchise history.
Vatrano has assists in consecutive games (0-2=2).
The 18 shots on net in the opening frame marked Anaheim's second-most in any period this season.
Leason temporarily doubled the lead early in the second on his second goal as a Duck, beating Hellebuyck on a breakaway. After the Jets won a faceoff to Stolarz's left, Samberg misplayed the puck at the blue line, giving Leason the chance to race ahead. Leason kept his move simple to avoid Samberg's backcheck, firing a wrist shot over Hellebuyck's blocker to put the Ducks ahead 2-0.

Claimed on waivers from Washington in October, Leason has 2-1=3 points in 20 games this season.
Down 2-0 midway through the afternoon, the Jets seemed to find their game late in the second, forcing the Ducks to defend much more in the final 30 minutes than they had in the first.
Maenalanen put Winnipeg on the board from right in front of the Anaheim net, tipping home a centering pass from Nate Schmidt below the goal line.
The 28-year-old Maenalanen has 4-1=5 points in his first 22 games with Winnipeg. He last played in the NHL for Carolina in 2018-19 before spending three seasons back in his native Finland.
Samberg tied the game on his first career NHL goal, making right on a second try at his earlier miscue, but he had to wait a few minutes to be sure it would count. As the Jets won another faceoff in the Ducks zone, this time Samberg walked the puck towards the middle of the ice, firing it through traffic in front and past Stolarz. The Ducks challenged for a high-stick, as the puck appeared like it may have been deflected along the way, but after a lengthy review, the tying goal and Samberg's milestone moment stood.
The Jets took all the momentum from that point after level the score, peppering the Anaheim net late in the second period, but Stolarz kept it tied at intermission with a few clutch stops.
The 2-2 tied held until late in the third period despite some quality looks on either end.
Much like they did in the same building two weeks ago
though, Winnipeg would pull away in the final minutes of regulation, taking a sudden two-goal lead in a matter of 49 seconds.
Barron broke the deadlock, converting a backdoor pass of the rush from Lowry for what would become his first career game-winning goal. The former Rangers draft pick has a career-best 2-4=6 points in 13 games this season.
Lowry has 1-5=6 points in his last five games and is now two assists shy of 100 for his NHL career.
Scheifele added the critical insurance goal on the next shift, giving the Jets some breathing room when he beat Stolarz with over the glove from the left circle. Scheifele has goals in three of his last four games and a team-leading 13 on the season.
Anaheim would be unable to regroup in search of the tying goal and Schmidt capped the scoring on the power play in the last minute of regulation on a shot from the point, sealing the 5-2 Winnipeg win.
The Ducks begin a two-game homestand Tuesday against Carolina.