A deflected shot from the point stood as the difference in a 7-4 victory for the Winnipeg Jets over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday afternoon in Manitoba.
Tampa Bay led 2-0 midway through the first period before the Jets scored three unanswered goals. The teams were tied 4-4 in the third until a point shot by Jets defender Dylan Samberg ricocheted off a Lightning player and into the net for the game winner.
Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who now head to St. Louis to close their four-game road trip against the Blues on Tuesday.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
TBL 1, WPG 0
6:49 Brandon Hagel (7) - Unassisted
Forward Brandon Hagel gave Tampa Bay the game's first lead after a collection of players in front of the Winnipeg net. A point shot by Tampa Bay was deflected into the crossbar, and the puck settled in the crease. As players crashed the blue paint, Hagel waited in the slot, where the puck found him for an open net.
TBL 2, WPG 0
8:02 Brayden Point (8) - Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman - PP
Brayden Point extended the Lightning lead, scoring on the power play after a Winnipeg challenge failed to overturn the Hagel goal. Point buried a saucer pass from Nikita Kucherov, who found Point in the net-front bumper position on the man advantage.
TBL 2, WPG 1
12:23 Vladislav Namestnikov (3) - Josh Morrissey
The Jets took advantage of a Tampa Bay turnover, and defenseman Josh Morrissey fed a former Lightning player in Namestnikov for a one-timed shot and goal.
Shots: WPG 11, TBL 9
2nd Period
WPG 2, TBL 2
5:49 Logan Stanley (1) - Nikolaj Ehlers
Winnipeg defenseman Logan Stanley evened the game for the first time near the end of the second period as his shot from the point slipped under the blocker of Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson.
WPG 3, TBL 2
7:36 Mark Scheifele (7) - Gabriel Vilardi
The Jets scored their third unanswered goal to claim their first lead, as a 2-on-1 ended with a Mark Scheifele goal after a Lightning turnover.
WPG 3, TBL 3
8:39 Mitchell Chaffee (4) - Jake Guentzel, Nick Paul
Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee had the answer for Tampa Bay near the midway point of the second, tying the game 8:39 into the period. Jake Guentzel found Chaffee in open ice on the rush, and No. 41 for Tampa Bay whistled a wrist shot far post to tie the game on his fourth goal of the season.
Shots: WPG 11, TBL 5
3rd Period
WPG 4, TBL 3
4:03 Alex Iafallo (1) - Nino Niederreiter, Cole Perfetti - PP
The home team reclaimed the lead four minutes into the third period. Alex Iafallo was left alone in front of the Tampa Bay net on the power play and scored his first goal of the year.
WPG 4, TBL 4
6:51 Kucherov (10) - Unassisted
Kucherov scored his 10th goal of the season by poking the puck off a Winnipeg player's stick in front of the Winnipeg net. Kucherov's poke check slipped through the legs of Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
WPG 5, TBL 4
7:38 Dylan Samberg (3) - Kyle Connor, Dylan DeMeloA deep shot changed direction off a Lightning player and found the back of the net for the fifth Winnipeg goal of the game.
WPG 6, TBL 4
17:15 Ehlers (8) - Scheifele, Namestnikov - EN
Ehlers extended the Winnipeg lead with an empty-net goal.
WPG 7, TBL 4
19:23 Perfetti (4) - Morrissey - EN
A second empty-net goal from Winnipeg closed the scoring.
Total shots: WPG 34, TBL 30
