Jets slide past Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche (3) vs Winnipeg Jets (5).......
The Avalanche went into Winnipeg in hopes of building on their modest one game win streak after snapping a three game slide versus the Panthers two nights prior. The suddenly surging Jets, winners of seven of their last eight games are trying to keep their ship in the air and keep their place in the play-off derby.
Winnipeg's Patrik Elias opened the scoring for the home side at 4:00 of the first on the powerplay as he had three chances in front of Jonathan Bernier before burying the last one at the side of the net, Alexander Steen picked up the only assist on the goal. David Desharnais tied it with his 11th of the year at 7:54, also with the extra man as he finished up a sweet three way passing play on the rush with assists going to Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. The first ended with the Avs out-shooting Winnipeg 13-7.
T.J Oshie scored twice for Colorado in eight seconds to open the second period. On the first goal (0:12) Oshie grabbed a David Krejci rebound after Jets' tender Jonas Gustavsson kicked it out and roofed it over the goalie's right shoulder. Soon after, Jay Harrison took an ill-advised hooking penalty putting the Avs back on the powerplay. On the ensuing face-off, Krejci won the draw and found Oshie in the slot and the winger made no mistake, firing it low stick on Gustavsson at the twenty second mark, prompting coach Dave Lewis to call a time-out and motion toward Pekke Rinne who replaced Gustavsson in net. The move seemed to re-fuel the Jets as they would rattle off three goals in just over eight minutes to take a 4-3 lead before the period was eleven minutes old. Patrik Elias (2:11) scored his second of the night as he came off the boards gathered up a juicy rebound and tucked it five hole on Bernier. Cal Clutterbuck tied the game at 6:18 as he raced across the Avs blue-line and hammered home his 7th of the year, again beating Bernier through the wickets. At 8:35 the Jets looked to have gone up by a goal by Alexander Steen but it was ruled after review that the net had been dislodged from the pegs prior to the puck entering the net. Colorado's Oshie was whistled for roughing at 8:31 of the second, sending the Jets powerplay back to work and with just four seconds remaining (10:27) Elias would complete his hat-trick when Lee Stempniak spotted Elias leaving the penalty box and hit him mid-stride with a gorgeous pass and Elias snapped a shot over the blocker hand of Bernier. The Jets out shot Colorado 12-10 in the second.
In the third Winnipeg's Colin Fraser scored his second of the year at 6:37 to give the Jet's their first two goal lead of the match as the third line of Fraser, Clutterbuck and Derek Dorsett had the Avs pend in their end for over a minute and finally created a turn over that Fraser finally capitalized on, sliding the puck between the post and pad on Bernier. The Avs coach John Tortorella elected to call his time out, also sending Tim Thomas to replace Bernier in the net. Thomas stopped all five shots he faced in the game but the Avs fell to the Jets.
MOLSON'S THREE STARS:
1 - Patrik Elias (Wpg)......... 3 goals, 7 shots
2 - T.J. Oshie (Col).............. 2 goals, +1, 4 shots
3 - Colin Fraser (Wpg)....... 1 goal, +2, 5 shots
Reporting For The WCHL Network........
Peter Puck
The Avalanche went into Winnipeg in hopes of building on their modest one game win streak after snapping a three game slide versus the Panthers two nights prior. The suddenly surging Jets, winners of seven of their last eight games are trying to keep their ship in the air and keep their place in the play-off derby.
Winnipeg's Patrik Elias opened the scoring for the home side at 4:00 of the first on the powerplay as he had three chances in front of Jonathan Bernier before burying the last one at the side of the net, Alexander Steen picked up the only assist on the goal. David Desharnais tied it with his 11th of the year at 7:54, also with the extra man as he finished up a sweet three way passing play on the rush with assists going to Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. The first ended with the Avs out-shooting Winnipeg 13-7.
T.J Oshie scored twice for Colorado in eight seconds to open the second period. On the first goal (0:12) Oshie grabbed a David Krejci rebound after Jets' tender Jonas Gustavsson kicked it out and roofed it over the goalie's right shoulder. Soon after, Jay Harrison took an ill-advised hooking penalty putting the Avs back on the powerplay. On the ensuing face-off, Krejci won the draw and found Oshie in the slot and the winger made no mistake, firing it low stick on Gustavsson at the twenty second mark, prompting coach Dave Lewis to call a time-out and motion toward Pekke Rinne who replaced Gustavsson in net. The move seemed to re-fuel the Jets as they would rattle off three goals in just over eight minutes to take a 4-3 lead before the period was eleven minutes old. Patrik Elias (2:11) scored his second of the night as he came off the boards gathered up a juicy rebound and tucked it five hole on Bernier. Cal Clutterbuck tied the game at 6:18 as he raced across the Avs blue-line and hammered home his 7th of the year, again beating Bernier through the wickets. At 8:35 the Jets looked to have gone up by a goal by Alexander Steen but it was ruled after review that the net had been dislodged from the pegs prior to the puck entering the net. Colorado's Oshie was whistled for roughing at 8:31 of the second, sending the Jets powerplay back to work and with just four seconds remaining (10:27) Elias would complete his hat-trick when Lee Stempniak spotted Elias leaving the penalty box and hit him mid-stride with a gorgeous pass and Elias snapped a shot over the blocker hand of Bernier. The Jets out shot Colorado 12-10 in the second.
In the third Winnipeg's Colin Fraser scored his second of the year at 6:37 to give the Jet's their first two goal lead of the match as the third line of Fraser, Clutterbuck and Derek Dorsett had the Avs pend in their end for over a minute and finally created a turn over that Fraser finally capitalized on, sliding the puck between the post and pad on Bernier. The Avs coach John Tortorella elected to call his time out, also sending Tim Thomas to replace Bernier in the net. Thomas stopped all five shots he faced in the game but the Avs fell to the Jets.
MOLSON'S THREE STARS:
1 - Patrik Elias (Wpg)......... 3 goals, 7 shots
2 - T.J. Oshie (Col).............. 2 goals, +1, 4 shots
3 - Colin Fraser (Wpg)....... 1 goal, +2, 5 shots
Reporting For The WCHL Network........
Peter Puck
