Jets lose to Capitals after Maurice resigns as coach

The Winnipeg Jets lost to the Washington Capitals 5-2 at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg on Friday, hours after coach Paul Maurice resigned.

"It was obviously a pretty emotional day, just for everybody," Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon said. "A lot of guys here, guys like [Mark Scheifele] and [Blake Wheeler] have spent eight years with Paul. For a lot of us, even myself just getting here this year, when you think about Winnipeg Jets hockey, you think of Paul Maurice leading the way. For us, trying to get going for tonight, that first period, we were maybe a little bit just kind of in the moment of everything going on, but as the game went on, we got better."
Dillon and Josh Morrissey scored for the Jets (13-9-5), who were coached by Dave Lowry. Maurice resigned earlier Friday after nine seasons as Jets coach.
"I thought we did play a fast game," Lowry said following his NHL coaching debut. "When you put up 40 shots you're doing something right. I thought it might have taken us a little while to get it going, but the second period I thought we did a good job of playing fast, managing the puck, creating opportunities."
Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves, and Nikolaj Ehlers had two assists for Winnipeg.

Brett Leason, Daniel Sprong, and Michael Sgarbossa each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (18-5-7). Alex Ovechkin extended his point streak to seven games with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
"I think we were just skating, using our speed and just getting pucks in behind them and doing all the hard work," Leason said. "I thought we had lots of chances. Definitely could have got a bit more, but we're satisfied."
Vitek Vanecek made 40 saves for Washington.
"[Vanecek] was unbelievable tonight," Leason said. "I think there were two or three saves where he did the splits. Just unbelievable. He was the backbone for us tonight."
Morrissey tied it 2-2 with a power-play goal at 2:03 of the third period. Conor Sheary put the Capitals ahead 3-2 at 9:09.
"I think we knew in the second period we had the lead but we weren't playing our best," Sheary said. "We got challenged in the third to go out and just have a good period, and [Vanecek] was a big part of that. He kept us in in the second, and in the third made the saves he needed to. And we were able to bury the game-winner. It gives us a big boost on the bench when he's making saves and doing that stuff and keeping us in the game. So kudos to him."
Leason gave Washington a 1-0 lead at 3:11 of the second period, and Sprong made it 2-0 at 8:43.

Dillion scored on a point shot to get Winnipeg within 2-1 at 14:32 of the second period. It was the defenseman's first goal in 28 games with the Jets after playing the previous two seasons for the Capitals.
"We all care and we want to do well, but it's just finding a way, and especially when times aren't going great," Dillon said. "Maybe it is finding a bounce or working for it or an off-the-shin pads (goal). I think with our team, we're so talented, we want to make that one great play because we know we can make it. Sometimes it might just take a knuckle or something to get us going."
Sgarbossa scored into an empty net at 17:20 to make it 4-2, and Ovechkin scored at 19:09 for the 5-2 final. He has scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists) on his point streak and remained one goal from setting the NHL power-play record.
NOTES: Capitals coach Peter Laviolette got his 691st NHL win to tie Dick Irvin for 10th in NHL history. Laviolette is 54-20-12 in two seasons with Washington, and 691-445-135 with 25 ties with the Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders and Capitals. ... John Carlson's assist on Ovechkin's goal was his 548th NHL point (121 goals, 427 assists); he passed Mike Ridley for eighth in Capitals history. ... Washington has a point in seven of its past nine games against Winnipeg (6-2-1). ... Sheary's point streak ties an NHL career-best four games (two goals, three assists). ... Defenseman Dennis Cholowski's assist on Sheary's goal was his first point in five games with the Capitals. ... Defenseman Matt Irwin's assist on Leason's goal was his first point in five games with the Capitals. ... Leason had his first NHL multipoint game (21 games played). ... Winnipeg forward David Gustafsson (lower body) left his season debut in the second period, and forward Evgeny Svechnikov (undisclosed) left in the third period. Lowry did not have an update on either player.