Jets rally back to beat Ducks in overtime

WINNIPEG -Despite what the record showed, the Winnipeg Jets knew Sunday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks wouldn't be easy.
Yes, the Ducks were on a franchise record 10-game winless skid. But this was the same team that prior to the current drought had gone 11-2-0 in their previous 13 games.
The Ducks were desperate, jumping out to 2-0 and 3-2 leads on the Jets. But Winnipeg rallied back both times, then with 10 seconds left in overtime, Bryan Little flipped the winning goal over John Gibson to seal a 4-3 Jets win.
"They were a desperate team and they played that way. They made it a really hard night for us," said Little. "When we get down one or two in a game, we have that confidence we can come back and win those games. That's huge. Every time we do, it's another confidence boost for us."

It was the fourth time the Jets had come back to win after trailing through 40 minutes of regulation time.
After a massive save from Connor Hellebuyck early in overtime kept the extra period going, the teams traded chances before Little's goal. Both Little and Jacob Trouba were outside the crease hammering away at a loose puck prior to Little notching his fourth game-winning goal of the season.
"I think we were both whacking at it for four or five seconds," said Little. "It just went on my stick and I tried to shovel it up."
Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine, and Ben Chiarot rounded out the scoring for the Jets, who have now won four straight on home ice, moving two points clear of the Nashville Predators for the Central Division lead.
But it hasn't been easy for the Jets either, especially with injuries to Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers on the blue line.
"Everyone steps up," said Trouba, who played a team-high 26:34 in the win. "We have plenty of guys who can play back there. I don't think anyone is worried to be out there. We're not trying to match too hard. If you're on the ice, go play hockey. We're all capable of doing it."

A tough break just over two minutes into the hockey game resulted in Anaheim opening the scoring. A saucer pass from the left boards off the stick of Brian Gibbons went off the skate of a falling Chiarot. It redirected into the top corner over Hellebuyck's glove, putting the Jets down 1-0.
Anaheim would increase the lead with 3:46 to go in the period. Mark Scheifele's pass on a 2-on-1 was broken up in front of the Ducks net, turning the play the other way. Rickard Rakell took a drop pass from Dylan Sprong and wired it through the glove of Hellebuyck and under the bar for his sixth of the campaign.
"He got an absolute bad break on the first that you can't control. The second one, he's going to want. I didn't like where the shot comes from - that's my concern on that one," said head coach Paul Maurice.
"At the end of it, we need one more (save). We can't tell you which one that's going to be. But we're going to need the one more save to win this game and he found it in overtime."

A Jets power play near the end of the first gave them a chance to cut into that lead - and that's exactly what they did.
From the right circle, Wheeler ripped home his ninth of the season, making use of a screen provided by Kyle Connor in front of Gibson.
"It just changed the momentum a little bit and give us a little boost," Wheeler said. "That's the power play's job. It's a 2-0 game. They didn't spend a whole lot of time in our zone in the first. They got a good break on the first one. To cut that in half going into the first intermission was a good little boost."
Before the middle frame was three minutes old, the Jets would tie the game. Bryan Little sent a cross-ice pass on a 2-on-1 to Laine, who blasted home his 25th of the season into the top corner on Gibson's stick side.
It was Laine's first goal since Dec. 29.
"Honestly I apologized because it was a pretty bad pass, I thought," Little said with a grin. "It was a bit in front of him and rolling, but I should know by now that he can fire those things. I'm surprised how much heat he got on that one."

Andrew Cogliano would put the Ducks back in front however, as his shot from Hellebuyck's left side squeaked through his five-hole with 4:12 left in the second period.
A line shuffle from Paul Maurice led to the Jets finding the equalizer late in the third period. He moved Andrew Copp on the wing with Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev, and the trio put in a solid offensive zone shift, working the puck back to Chiarot. His point shot went off a skate on the way to the net, beating Gibson high.
"They just play at the right end and they keep their game so simple. You put enough pucks at the net and you have traffic at the net, you're going to score some goals," said Maurice, before expanding on moving Mathieu Perreault to Little's line and Copp to Lowry's line with the Jets searching for the tying goal.
"Andrew Copp has played exceptionally well since he's come back from injury… He deserved to be on the ice when we went to nine forwards."
Then in overtime came Little's heroics. But that wasn't before Hellebuyck turned away Ducks defenceman Cam Fowler, who took a pass on Hellebuyck's right side, deked to the left, and had his backhand attempt stopped by the last inches of Hellebuyck's pad.
"That's what he's done the whole time I've played with him," Trouba said. "He finds a way to make big saves. That's what you need. That's what a game comes down to. A goalie makes a big stop and you put a goal in at the other end."
Next up, the Jets host the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night to wrap up a three-game home stand.
"It'll be the same style of game. They work hard, they grind. That's a game we're going to have to be comfortable playing," Trouba said. "It's a game we can play. It's more of that playoff style and something that suits us. When we play it well, we're pretty good at it."