Jets fall short against Bruins

WINNIPEG -For the second straight game, the Winnipeg Jets liked a big part of their performance.
What they didn't like was the final result.
The Jets (38-28-3) held one of the highest-scoring teams in the National Hockey League - the Boston Bruins - to just 24 shots on goal, while generating 36 shots of their own, but at the end of the night the score read 3-0 in favour of Boston (50-11-5).
"There's no real moral victories at this point of the season," said Jets forward Adam Lowry. "I think for the most part if we keep forechecking like we have been we in the last couple of weeks, more often than not we're going to come out on the right side."

Lowry and his teammates hope that momentum turns sooner than later.
As does head coach Rick Bowness. He admitted he felt the Jets could've made life more difficult for Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman, who picked up his third shutout of the season.
Even still, there were chances to be had.
"A couple of goal posts, we missed a couple tap-ins around the net," Bowness said. "We have to put those pucks in the back of the net. The opportunities were there. Their goalie was really good. We didn't capitalize on the chances they gave us."
Trent Frederic seized the game's first scoring opportunity, burying a centering feed from Tyler Bertuzzi 50 seconds into the contest. It was the third time this season the Jets had given up a goal in the opening minute of a game.
"The worst thing you can do is fall behind 1-0, 50 seconds in the game, against a team that's going to sit back," said Bowness. "They have a big, mobile, physical defence. It's hard to get to the net with those guys."
Then, when the Jets came close but couldn't convert on two power play chances, Pavel Zacha made it 2-0 with a laser beam off the rush, beating Connor Hellebuyck over the glove and just under the bar with 6:38 remaining in the first.

At the time, the shots were 10-4 Winnipeg.
"We knew them, being the top team in the league, it was going to be a good test for us," said defenceman Brenden Dillon. "I think we proved it to ourselves that we could have easily won that game tonight. 2-0 with an empty-netter. We just got to work."
The Jets had four full power plays - and a condensed 20-second opportunity - over the course of the first 40 minutes.
Some of the best chances came off the sticks of Kyle Connor from the slot, and Mark Scheifele immediately after. How Scheifele's chance stayed out, in real time, no one could figure out. Ultimately, it went off the skate of Charlie McAvoy and steered wide.
"The one Scheif has a good chance and the entire bench is up for that," said Dillon. "I think every play, even our power plays early, I felt they gave us momentum. We felt we were right there."
Connor also hit a post in the second, just minutes after Nate Schmidt wired a wrister from the slot off the crossbar.
Ultimately the Jets finished 0-for-5 on the power play despite generating 10 shots.

"You get five opportunities, or four and a half, you need the power play to put one in," said Bowness. "I know Mark's shot was going in, he just stuck his arm up and it was one of those nights for him. We had a couple of tips that could have gone in so it was good. Does it have to be better? Yes."
The frustration level might be rising, but Dillon says the Jets are sticking together.
"We've got each other's backs. Nobody is getting on each other in here, which is a good sign because it's easy to get frustrated when we've played well," said Dillon. "Even the Carolina game, we played well enough to win but didn't get the result. We have to find a way."
In the third, the Jets weren't able to cut into the Boston lead. The Jets outshot the Bruins 12-9 in the final period, and Natural Stat Trick gave Winnipeg a 4-2 edge in high-danger chances at five-on-five.
"Their forwards really do a good job rushing out on our D. Our D are getting a lot of attention now because they're a big part of our offence," said Bowness. "A lot of the time, their defence weren't even worried about our forwards. They just stepped in front of the shot."

Winnipeg pulled Hellebuyck with about three minutes left in regulation, but still couldn't light the lamp. Tomas Nosek rounded out the Boston offence with an empty-net goal with six seconds left on the clock.
When the Jets got off the ice, they saw that Nashville - one of the teams chasing them for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference - dropped a 2-1 decision to Chicago.
"You're aware of who's playing and who's behind you and who you're chasing," said Lowry. "It's really disappointing. We need these points. They're so critical right now and we're almost scoreboard watching every night right now."
Naturally, the Jets and the Predators face-off on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.
"Both teams will be very desperate. That's the mentality that's going to be there," said Bowness. "There had better be a lot of urgency in every shift and every detail that we talk about. The urgency and the desperation, it has to be there."