Nikolaj Ehlers scored the game-winning goal and Adam Lowry netted one goal and an assist to lead the injury-riddled Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames in Edmonton to even their Western Conference qualifying-round series at one win apiece.
Game 3 of the best-of-five set will be Tuesday.
With the score even midway through the third period, Ehlers set up shop in the high slot and neatly deflected Neal Pionk's point shot at the 10:24 mark of the frame. His first career postseason goal came in his 23rd game.
It was a huge win for the Jets, who were without two of their top forwards in Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine, as well as Mason Appleton. All were injured in the first game of the series, which left the team without players who accounted for one-quarter of their goals in the regular season.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves in the victory.
Just like the series opener, the Jets opened the scoring before the midway point of the first period. Jansen Harkins, one of the team's injury replacements, was sprung on a breakaway and fired a top-corner shot from the slot at the 7:18 mark.
Lowry doubled the lead 5 minutes into the second period, shortly after the Jets failed to score on a five-on-three power play for a full two minutes. Lowry, his team's best player through the first couple of games, was at the doorstep and swatted a loose puck out of the air for his first goal of the series.
However, the Flames drew even before the second intermission. First, Elias Lindholm took advantage of an egregious turnover by Ehlers by immediately firing the puck home to put Calgary on the board at 11:29 of the frame.
Then, exactly six minutes later, Sam Bennett's wraparound attempt ricocheted off the skate of Jets defender Nathan Beaulieu and into the cage to make it a 2-2 count.
Cam Talbot made 23 saves for the Flames, who failed to score on six power play opportunities.
--Field Level Media
Winnipeg | Calgary | |
Adam Lowry 2 | Points | Sam Bennett 1 |
Adam Lowry 1 | Goals | Sam Bennett 1 |
Jack Roslovic 2 | Assists | Noah Hanifin 1 |
Nikolaj Ehlers 1 | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Connor Hellebuyck .933 | Save Percentage | Cam Talbot .885 |
Connor Hellebuyck 28 | Saves | Cam Talbot 23 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Winnipeg | 26 | 3 | 1-6 | 6-6 | 14 | 30 |
Calgary | 30 | 2 | 0-6 | 5-6 | 14 | 23 |