Jets go down swinging in high-scoring loss
It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't a complete disaster either.
On Friday night, the Jets travelled to St. Paul for a preseason clash with the Minnesota Wild... It was probably best they just stayed home.
A back-and-forth first period led to a 1-1 draw through 20 minutes. But it was in the second period where the Wild completely dominated the game as the Jets fell asleep and looked on.
Sure, the Wild were a more veteran-looking bunch, but Winnipeg's staff of players including Alex Iafallo, Mason Appleton, Cole Perfetti, Neal Pionk, Colin Miller, Dylan Samberg and Connor Hellebuyck certainly had some years of experience to it.
It just didn't go the Jets' way in that middle stanza.
Despite scoring a goal to tie the game at twos just two minutes after Minnesota pulled ahead 2-1, Winnipeg kicked its collective feet up and stood pat as the Wild piled on not four or five, but six additional goals in the frame, concluding the second period with eight total goals - seven of which were scored in that 20-minute chunk.
Hellebuyck's performance looked absolutely disastrous, as the reigning Vezina Trophy winner gave up eight goals on 29 shots faced.
But the key part of what appeared to be an incredibly unexpected blowout was Winnipeg's response in the third period.
With Minnesota opting to take its foot off the gas pedal, the Jets got three goals in the frame, as Nikita Chibrikov scored a power play goal in the early stages, before Brayden Yager and Morgan Barron pumped back-to-back shots past Marc-Andre Fleury.
The 8-5 final looked a lot better on paper thanks to a reluctant third period effort. If it weren't for some hustle and a willingness to continue fighting, things could have easily turned even uglier than they were in the middle frame.
Winnipeg will now have a few days to reset as its next exhibition contest doesn't come until next Wednesday. There will be at least one round of cuts between now and then, allowing a more distinct grouping of players vying for the final roster spots to form as the regular season fast approaches.
Now 1-2-1 in preseason play, the Jets will close things out with a home-and-home against the Calgary Flames next week.
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