Recap: Ducks Can't Hold Third Period Lead in 4-2 Loss to Jets

Adam Henrique and Alex Killorn scored, but the Ducks could not hold a two-goal third-period lead tonight in a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Honda Center.

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The loss dropped Anaheim to 10-17-0 on the season and 5-10-0 on home ice.

Henrique and Killorn provided Anaheim's offense, giving the Ducks a 2-0 lead early in the third. Troy Terry, Max Jones, Jakob Silfverberg and Radko Gudas tallied assists. John Gibson made 27 saves.

Nino Niederreiter, Morgan Barron, Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets, who extended their winning streak to four games and improved to 16-8-2 on the season. Connor Hellebuyck earned the win in net, stopping 25-of-27 Anaheim shots.

Winnipeg winger Kyle Connor left the game early in the second period after a knee-on-knee collision with Ryan Strome in the Anaheim slot. Strome was assessed a five-minute major penalty for kneeing after review. Connor did not return to the game. The Jets did not score on the five-minute man advantage.

Instead the night's first goal would not appear until the final minutes of the middle frame, when Killorn parked himself in front of the net on the power play and had three cracks at a rebound in front of Hellebuyck. The former Vezina Trophy-winning netminder made the first two stops, but the third would be the charm for Killorn as the veteran winger shoveled the bouncing puck over Hellebuyck's left leg pad to put the Ducks ahead.

The goal was Killorn's third as a Duck and gave him four points in his last five games (2-2=4). His three power-play goals this season are tied for second among team leaders.

With the primary assist, Terry now has points in two of his last three games.

The game opened up early in the third, with a shot off the post and three goals in six minutes quickly turning what appeared to be a solid Anaheim lead.  

First-year Jet Alex Iafallo very nearly leveled the score for the visitors in the first minute of the third, lifting a snapshot over Gibson from ther slot that, unfortunately for Winnipeg, rang the post and deflected wide.

That missed opportunity would seemingly haunt the Jets as Anaheim doubled the lead on the next shift when Henrique beat Hellebuyck off the rush to the blocker side after a cross-ice pass by Silfverberg.

Silfverberg's assist was the 199th of his NHL career.

Suddenly in a 2-0 hole on the road, Winnipeg refused to go quietly and pulled right back even before the first media timeout of the third.

Niederreiter first cut the deficit in half as the finisher on a terrific play by veteran forward Vladislav Namestikov, who withstood a bone-crunching hit by Gudas behind the net to deliver a centering feed to Niederreiter parked at the netfront. 

Recently signed to a three-year contract extension, Niederreiter has points in consecutive games (1-1=2) and ranks fifth among team leaders in scoring this season.

Barron then tied the game a few minutes later, punching home a rebound through a swarm of bodies just outside of Gibson's crease.

Barron's goal was the 16th of his NHL career and his fifth of the season. The 25-year-old set career highs in games played (70), goals (eight), assists (13), points (21) and plus/minus (+4) last season.

Anaheim almost went back ahead late in the third when Vatrano got behind the Winnipeg defense for a look alone at Hellebuyck, but the goaltender was able to knock Vatrano off balance with a stick to the midsection in tight.

And this time it would be Winnipeg making Anaheim pay for the close call as Vilardi tipped home Josh Morrissey's point shot for the night's decisive marker.

Scheifele then hit the empty net to seal the 4-2 Winnipeg victory.

The Ducks begin a four-game road trip Wednesday against the Islanders.