Jets in good spirits after loss to Predators in Game 2

NASHVILLE -- The Winnipeg Jets return home a single shot from having a hammerlock on their Western Conference Second Round series against the Nashville Predators, but they'll gladly take a split back to Winnipeg after a thrilling 5-4 double-overtime loss to the Predators in Game 2 at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday.

Game 2 featured 91 shots on goal, with a staggering 188 shot attempts when you include those blocked or not finding their target. There were 49 hits, 23 by the Jets, and 20 penalty minutes called, 10 assessed to each team, all taken during the first two periods. This was a game with a nastier, chippier edge than was seen in Game 1; there were six penalty minutes called in the opener, all charged to Winnipeg.
Game 2, ending with Kevin Fiala's goal at 5:37 of double overtime, was the longest in Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history. Their only previous overtime ended at 5:12 of the first extra period of Game 3 of the 2015 Western Conference First Round against the Anaheim Ducks.
WATCH: [All Jets vs. Predators Game 2 highlights | Complete series coverage]
The longest game of the original Jets was Game 4 of the 1990 Smythe Division Semifinal, ending with a 4-3 home loss to the Edmonton Oilers at 1:08 of double overtime. The loss Sunday would have eclipsed that too.
"I think you come into a series like this, starting on the road, and want to get a win," Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. "Certainly we had an opportunity to take two, and after winning the first one that was our goal. We really like our spot right now though."
And why wouldn't they? The Jets played a superior game to the one Friday that opened this series, no matter that they were 4-1 winners in Game 1.
"It was a lot better," Jets center Paul Stastny said. "It was a back-and-forth game, but that's what's you expect when you come in here. We knew they were going to come out hard and we wanted to come out better. We sustained a lot more pressure, got a lot more pucks to the net and then did a good job fighting back and getting into overtime. And once in overtime it's anyone's game. We'll shake it off before we take off, and then get ready for next game."

Wheeler agreed with Stastny about a stronger Jets effort. Winnipeg took 50 shots on Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne on Sunday, compared to 19 in Game 1.
"We were on the puck a little bit more, got on their (defense), a lot of rimmed pucks by their (defense)," Wheeler said. "We like the bulk of what we did tonight. Just a couple little things to clean up and we'll get back at it in front of our fans."
Winnipeg's raucous sea of white is eagerly awaiting Game 3 of this best-of-7 series is at Bell MTS Place on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; CNBC, CBC, TVAS). The Jets have won 12 consecutive games on home ice, nine to end the regular season, three during their five-game elimination of the Minnesota Wild in the first round.
The Jets were in a hole Sunday while the ice still was wet, Ryan Johansen putting the Predators ahead 27 seconds after opening face-off. Winnipeg pushed ahead 2-1 in the first period, fell behind 3-2 in the second, then in the third tied the game 3-3, fell behind 4-3 and sent the game to overtime on Mark Scheifele's second goal of the game, making it 4-4 with 1:05 left, skating with an extra attacker.

"I don't think there was something missing," Jets coach Paul Maurice said of the early deficit. "I actually think (Nashville) scoring the first goal was in some ways a positive; it snapped us right into doing more than just defending, that mindset. I liked what we generated really straight through the game, certainly in the last half of the third down. We were dominant that portion of the game."
Eleven of the 20 Jets were playing in their first overtime game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On the other side, only Predators backup goalie Juuse Saros had yet to experience one.
"It's fun. That's all it is," said Stastny, whose 15 overtime games leads the Jets. "I don't think there's more pressure. A lot of guys (hadn't) played a playoff game. A lot of guys (hadn't) played a road playoff game, (they) got that out of the way. … As much as it is physical, it is mental, and that's where you've got to forget about tonight and just get focused on Game 3 and try to take care of home ice."

Scheifele had an assist on top of his two goals; he scored on both of his shots Sunday. He has 10 points (eight goals, two assists) this postseason.
"It's a (bad) way to lose, but we played a better game tonight than we did on Friday. That's a positive," Scheifele said. "We can be upset for 10 minutes and then after that we've got to get our rest and then get ready for Tuesday.
"Playoff hockey is fun. It's exciting. You're going to win games, you're going to lose games, you're going to get down in games and you're going to be up in games. There's a lot of adversity that goes through a series, and that's the reason they're best four out of seven."