The preseason is over for the Winnipeg Jets after a thrilling come from behind 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Tanner Pearson scored the shootout winner, Haydn Fleury, Gustav Nyquist, Alex Iafallo and Perker Ford scored the goals for Winnipeg who finished the preseason 2-3-1. Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves in his second start, the Jets will open the regular season next Thursday at home against the Dallas Stars.
D-ZONE PLAY
With this being just the second game where the Jets played with most of their regular players in the lineup, it would be a pretty good reason for the team to not look as sharp as they did last season as the best defensive squad in the league. In the first, Nazem Kadri and Matvei Gridin got in behind the Jets defence to make it 2-0 just 11:17 into the game. In the second period and Calgary leading 3-1, Kadri played give and go with Kevin Bahl and the Flames forward had a wide-open net. Overall, there were a few goals tonight that you just didn’t see happen last season when the Jets were on their game.
FIGHTING THEIR WAY BACK
Just after Kadri gave the Flames a 4-1 lead, the Jets began the comeback thanks to Gustav Nyquist first goal with Winnipeg at 6:14 of the middle frame. Off to the third period, Alex Iafallo pulled the Jets within one just under four minutes in and then Parker Ford redirected a shot from Logan Stanley at 12:57. Winnipeg had a couple of glorious chances in overtime before a seven round shootout that saw Tanner Pearson score a bizarre goal that turned out to the be the winner.
"We certainly got down in the game, but I really liked our third period," said Scott Arniiel on CJOB.
"That’s all I said to them after the second, let’s make sure we go out and we’re real good in the third and we can do what we need to do to get ready for next week."
