Despite Slow Start, Jets Demolish Ducks

It's not how you start, it's how you ... well, you know the rest of that chestnut. Despite playing the first period as if they'd spent way too much time around the pigs-in-a-blanket station at the morning brunch, the Jets found their and played tremendously in the second and third periods to drill the lowly Anaheim Ducks 5-2. In a Sunday matinee at Canada Life Centre the Jets fell behind 2-0 early in the second period and then stormed back, outshooting Anaheim 32-11 over the final 35 minutes to improve to 15-7-1 on the season. The Jets are still second in the Central Division, two points back of the Dallas Stars with two games in hand. However, despite what was ultimately an impressive win, the Jets came out like a team that had way too many Mimosas at  brunch. They had no legs at all and at one point, the shots were 15-3 Anaheim. Head coach Rick Bowness was visibly anger when asked about the team's play in the first period saying, m "I'm not a baby-sitter," and 'They're supposed to be professionals," when referring to his team. He was NOT happy. Neither was the home crowd. The Ducks also scored the only goal of the opening period as Jacob Silfverberg tallied his fourth of the year on a rebound at 15:16. The Ducks outshot the Jets 18-7 in the first period and completely dominated the home side. Since Tuesday's almost flawless 5-0 win over Colorado, the Jets were not great on Friday night in a 4-1 loss to Columbus and were even worse in the first period on Sunday. Perhaps the early-season bloom was now off the rose. It got uglier early in the second period when Jets D-man Dylan Samberg mishandled the puck in the Aanheim zone and allowed Brett Leason to go in alone and goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Leason buried his second goal of the season, a ripper under the crossbar, and Anaheim led 2-0. The goal came at 5:09 and at the time, the Ducks had outshot the Jets 22-9. But then with one fortunate bounce, the game changed. At 10:31, Saku Maenalanen found himself alone in front of Ducks goalie Anthony Stolarz and he tipped a Nate Schmidt pass into the back of the net. Adam Lowry also drew an assist on Maenalenen's fourth of the season and suddenly it was 2-1. Then, at 13:28, Samberg flipped a high shot from the point that hit a stick and floated over the shoulder of Stolarz to even it up at two apiece. Kyle  Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois drew the assists on the first goal of Samberg's career -- a knuckle-puck past the Ducks goalie. The Jets outshot Anaheim 15-5 in the second period and suddenly the score was tied and the shots were 23-22 Ducks. The Jets had awakened. In the third period, it was all Winnipeg. Patiently, the Jets outplayed an Anaheim team that had played the afternoon before in St. Paul, Minn. Finally at 14:23, Morgan Barron banged home a loose puck at the corner of the Ducks' crease too score the eventual winner. It was Barron's second of the year as Adam Lowry and Maenalanen drew the assists. The Jets now led 3-2. But they weren't finished. Mark Scheifele made 4-2 it just 49 seconds later as he drilled a laser-beam over Stolarz's glove. It was Scheifele's 13th of the year as Blake Wheeler and Cole Perfetti were credited with the helpers. Then Nate Schmidt scored his third of the campaign from Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor at 19:15. It was a power play goal and, as a result, the Jets won going away. The three stars were Mikey Eyssimont, Schmidt and Hellebuyck. The fact that Dubois and Morrissey were clearly the two best players on the ice eluded the official three-star selector. The best stat-line belonged to Morrissey who had an assist and was plus-one with two shots, a hit, three blocked shots and a takeaway in 25 minutes and 28 seconds of action. Morrissey now has five goals and 26 points and is fourth in scoring among NHL defensemen. He's also plus-eight. If he keeps up this pace, a Norris Trophy might be in his future. The Jets play again on Tuesday night when Paul Maurice and his Florida Panthers visit Canada Life Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.