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Instant Recap: Minnesota Wild scramble Winnipeg Jets; win 3-2 in shootout

It's games like this one that make you believe. The Winnipeg Jets jumped the Minnesota Wild early and often today. Crisp passes, strong skating, sharp goaltending. The Jets looked like they could compete. At the end of the first period, the Jets looked like they were at cruising altitude. But they didn't score. They couldn't score. Try as they might, Nicklas Backstrom was equal to the task.

In the second, the Jets finally broke through. Michael Frolik crashed the net to bang in a Matt Halischuk rebound, putting the Jets up 1-0. The Jets ended the period up by that one goal, but it didn't look pretty. The Wild were awake, and though the Jets were leading, the Wild looked like they were now in control.

The third period was a see-saw. The Jets and Wild traded chances, then when began trading goals. Nino Niederreiter, 1-1. Matt Halischuk just minutes later; 2-1 Jets. Then with six minutes to go and the Jets heading onto the power play, they had a chance to really take control, to really secure the win. Instead, a shorthanded 3-on-2 led to a Zach Parise goal, and this game was headed to overtime. When overtime proved fruitless, the Minnesota Wild won in a shootout.

Random Musings
  • The Jets' third line had one of their better games in recent memory. Matt Halischuk and Michael Frolik both finished with a goal and an assist, and Mark Scheifele chipped in an assist.
    The Jets looked like a totally different team in the first half of this one. Skating well, tape-to-tape passing, dangerous on offense, strong goaltending…what is it that prevents them from playing that way more often?
  • Ondrej Pavelec was great today. It's too soon to say that he's turned a corner, but boy does this team need him to.
  • Likewise, Nicklas Backstrom had a great day for the Wild. If not for Backstrom, this game could have easily gotten out of hand early on.
  • The second line looked extremely dangerous tonight, but couldn't buy a goal. Olli Jokinen was particularly dangerous, and he finished with seven shots on goal. Evander Kane and Devin Setoguchi added 5 shots each. Those guys couldn't buy a goal tonight.
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