Little, Laine hook up to give Jets huge OT win

ST. LOUIS, MO - It was way back on Day 1 of training camp, but the very thought of it appealed to Bryan Little.
It made sense. Who better than a veteran centreman with the requisite offensive toolkit, and the savvy defensive ability to help a young rookie adapt to the big-league game?
Twenty-seven games later - 23 of which he spent sidelined with a lower-body injury - Little was finally paired with rookie sensation Patrik Laine, and boy, did they look good together.
Little and Laine had a goal and an assist each, including a beautiful connection only 17 seconds into overtime, to lift the Jets to a gritty 3-2 win over the division rival St. Louis Blues.

"We haven't had anybody in the lineup long enough to find that chemistry, but that line … There was something there," said Head Coach Paul Maurice. "It's not just the offence because Bryan has placed in that shutdown role for so long. I liked that line."

In overtime, Laine - streaking down his off wing - made a sensational backhand saucer pass over to Little, who easily put it into the empty net to give Winnipeg the victory.
"I thought we didn't have the puck as much we would have liked, but when we did have it, we were creating chances and we took advantage of that," Little said. "I was just trying to find (Laine) in good spots as much as I could and let him use his shot. … That's part of his game. He's got such a good shot and people are going to respect it. His passing game is very underrated, too. All I had to do was put it in an empty net there."

That, after hooking up earlier in the game in reversed roles as Laine fired home a nifty Little pass to tie the game 2-2 midway through the second period.
"It was a heck of a play Bryan made to Patrik and - he knows what he's doing with the puck, that man," Maurice said.
The Jets were without their leading scorer, Mark Scheifele, who was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. But everyone stepped up and played one of their best games of the year.
Impressive.
"We dug our heels in and did what we had to do. That was the recipe tonight," said Blake Wheeler, who had an assist on Chris Thorburn's shorthanded goal early in the first period. "We had to. One of the best centremen in the league and a huge part of what we do. We miss him in all phases of the game. Everyone had to step up their game a little bit and batten down the hatches."

Michael Hutchinson made 20 saves in the victory. The Jets finish up this quick, two-game road trip tomorrow night in Chicago against the Blackhawks.
The Jets came up with a gigantic penalty kill late in the game after Josh Morrissey was flagged for holding. That, along with three other successful PKs on the night, ensured the game made it overtime.
"Everyone had a piece of it. … We had some stretches where they were better and then we were, but for the most part, there's not much I would have to complain about in that game," Maurice said
"Even the Chicago game where we won 4-0 at home, this one had a little bite to it. I liked that game."
Trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Blues tied the game and then took their first lead with two quick goals early in the middle frame.
Alexander Steen brought the home side back on even terms at 5:16 with a slapper off the rush, beating Hutchinson under the arm from the top of the left circle. Then, just 2:09 later, as the Jets were hemmed in their own end, Dmitrij Jaskin turned and fired from the centre point, tucking it low inside the far post to give the Blues a 2-1 lead.
The Jets replied less than two minutes later, as Laine pulled back into a tie for the league lead in goals with No. 16 on the year. Bryan Little made a terrific pass on a partial odd-man rush, and Laine - who started the play with a great dish at the defensive blue line - showed great hands on the return feed, taking it about six inches off the ice before rifling a shot over the glove of Blues goalie Carter Hutton.

The goal came at 9:18, and was a mammoth response with more than 20,000 whipped into a frenzy.
"It feels good," said Laine, who has three goals in his last two games and once again has a share of the league lead with 16 on the year.
"Now, finally, get the win as a team, so I'm really happy."

The Jets had one of their better periods in recent memory and as a result, led the Blues 1-0 after one period of play. They did some have some trouble staying out of the box, mind you, but amid the swath of suspect calls, they were able to create some offence.
Thorburn opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 12:27. Blake Wheeler broke up a pass in his own end and took it back for a 2-on-1 the other way. On his off wing, the captain delivered a beautiful saucer pass over the stick of a Blues defender, giving Thorburn a tap in at the side of the net.
"When you see the Thorb Dog streaking down the wing it's a no-brainer [to pass]," Wheeler said.
Thorburn, along with linemates Brandon Tanev and Alexander Burmistrov, had a great night, generating chances, playing physical at both ends and easily winning their matchup with the Blues' fourth line.
"Games throughout the course of the Winnipeg Jets' existence, they've been close," Thorburn said. "We knew one goal wasn't going to put them away, but guys stick with it and played a role in this win."
LATE HITS: Mark Scheifele as noted above, did not play with a lower-body injury. As a result, Blake Wheeler took over at centre, with Drew Stafford and Mathieu Perreault on his wings, while Little moved up to play alongside Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers.
The remaining two forward lines were deployed as follows:
Andrew Copp - Adam Lowry - Marko Dano
Brandon Tanev - Alexander Burmistrov - Chris Thorburn
- Ryan Dittrick, WinnipegJets.com