Who would’ve guessed that a game in Winnipeg would be the talk of the weekend this late in the season?
NHL scores 2015: Blackhawks stun Jets on the road, Jaromir Jagr leads Panthers again
The Jets can actually be quite fun!
Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
The Winnipeg Jets hosted the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, and the result was some of the most thrilling, end-to-end action all week long. When Dustin Byfuglien is dancing around and scoring then you know you're watching a chaotic hockey game.
Something about the way the Jets play brought out the best in both teams. Winnipeg plays a controlled style of hockey, deliberately advancing the puck through each zone with precision and pace. You wouldn’t think that kind of game would aid the Blackhawks’ high-octance style, but it did. Once either team made a mistake, the other was ready to pounce.
Of course, that ultimately undid the Jets. As we’ll detail below, a single misplay of the puck around a referee led to a game-defining goal by Patrick Sharp. Chicago may have skated away with the win, but we can only hope we get a playoff series between these two at some point. Which is something we never thought we’d say.
Scores
Boston Bruins 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1 (OT)
Pittsburgh Penguins 3, San Jose Sharks 2 (SO)
Chicago Blackhawks 4, Winnipeg Jets 3
3 things we learned
1. Jaromir Jagr has injected life into the Panthers.
No trade deadline acquisition has had nearly the impact that Jagr has had in Florida. Since joining, the living NHL legend has fit perfectly on the Panthers’ top line and consistently willed them to victory. He did it again on Sunday, scoring twice to give the Panthers a 4-2 win over Ottawa. Florida sits just one point back of the Senators in 10th place.
2. David Pastrnak continues to show up for Boston.
For all the talk of Filip Forsberg, Aaron Ekblad and Johnny Gaudrea, one of the most impactful rookies this season has been Pastrnak in Boston. His ten goals and 24 points in 39 games is only more impressive when you consider he's among his team's lowest in ice time. But the kid certainly has a knack for scoring when it counts. Pastrnak's overtime goal in Carolina gave Boston a much-needed three-point cushion on the Senators.
3. Calgary got the win it needed.
The Flames can thank Lance Bouma for making the light at the end of their playoffs tunnel less dim. Bouma's two goals gave the Flames the edge they needed to knock out their division-rival Predators on the road. Calgary's win made it jump ahead of Los Angeles by one point in the Pacific. As of Sunday night, the Flames were in the playoffs while the Kings sat outside. Monday's game in Dallas looms large.
Impact Moment
Winnipeg led Chicago by one goal late in the third period when a referee interfered with the play and created a Blackhawks breakaway goal. You can look at the play in one of two ways; either the referee was in the wrong place, or Tobias Enstrom was wrong in trying to deke the puck around the ref in the first place. Either way, the tie game eventually led to Jonathan Toews scoring the game-winner with half a minute remaining. The play could have major playoff implications for the Jets.
Stat of the Night
Jagr now 2 pts away from Ron Francis for 4th all-time (1,796) & 11 goals from Marcel Dionne for 4th all-time (731).
— Sean Leahy (@Sean_Leahy) March 29, 2015
Post to Post
- The Jets carved up the Blackhawks for a pretty shorthanded goal.
- The pass that set up Pastrnak’s winner was awesome.
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