191012 - postgame

CHICAGO, IL -Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Fortunately for the Winnipeg Jets allowing the game's first goal hasn't hurt them this season and it didn't burn them in a 3-2 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

Winnipeg fell behind 2-0 after a tough first period, recovered with singles in the second and third frames before overtime wizard Mark Scheifele ended the contest 47 seconds into the extra period.

WPG@CHI: Scheifele powers home Wheeler's feed for win

"Good play by J-Mo (Josh Morrissey) in the corner getting and facing (Jonathan) Toews' hand," said Scheifele when asked to go over the game winner.
"Went up the ice, kind of had an odd man break and good backhand (pass) by him (Morrissey) and a nice pass by Wheels (Blake Wheeler) and put her home."
The Jets have trailed first in all six of their games and have come back to win four of those games, which leads the NHL in wins when trailing first. The Jets are the only team in the NHL to trail first in their first six games to start the season. Even though they were down by two after 20 minutes, Blake Wheeler liked his team's chances.
"I swear it was a seven o'clock start," said Wheeler while smiling.
"The first period you got to credit them. They obviously were quicker than us. They made it difficult for us to play our game but that wasn't us. That's not the style of play that we need to have and we've developed in training camp that's given us success this year. Two thirds of that game was real good and we're human, it's not always going to be perfect."
Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrew Copp also scored for the Jets who improved to 4-2 on the season. Connor Hellebuyck had stopped 75 shots in his last two starts and made 27 more Saturday night to see his record move to 3-1.
"He had to big in the first especially and then for the rest of the night I think we squeezed it pretty good to the point that he had to make a couple more saves but he wasn't asked to do too much." said Paul Maurice.
Once again the Jets gave up the game's first goal, this time it was while they were on the power play. Kyle Connor lost the puck in the Blackhawks end and it allowed Chicago to break out 2-on-1, Ryan Carpenter slid a pass across to Brandon Saad and he poked it under Hellebuyck for the shorthanded marker at 4:02.
The Hawks would add to their lead at 12:37 of the first on their first man advantage. After Hellebuyck made the first stop on Dominik Kubalik, Chicago's Brent Seabrook skated to the rebound and fired a low hard shot past a screened Jets netminder to make it 2-0.
Winnipeg got on the board at 7:05 of the second period with their second power play opportunity of the evening. Neal Pionk slid a pass to Ehlers who one-timed his second of the season underneath Robin Lehner's pads. Mathieu Perreault provided a nice screen on the Chicago goaltender and it gave the Jets their first power play goal since opening night in New York.
In the third period, the Jets got the tying goal thanks to a beautiful pass from Kyle Connor to Andrew Copp who had a wide open net for his first of the year. After the top line carried things for a big chunk of the season tonight's win was the best example of a team victory.
"We had the power play goal and that was good to be a part of," said Copp.
"And then we needed a goal and they (the top line) kind of provided pretty much all the big goals so far this year. So it was good to give them an opportunity to win the game. Total team effort for sure."

POSTGAME | Andrew Copp

The Jets will play again tomorrow night at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins. After playing five of their first six games on the road, Winnipeg will play five straight at Bell MTS Place.