National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Winnipeg 3, Phoenix 2
When: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, February 27, 2014
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Referees: Francis Charron, Eric Furlatt
Linesmen: Scott Cherrey, Michel Cormier
Attendance: 15004

Jets 3, Coyotes 2 (SO): Olli Jokinen scored the winning goal in the fourth round of the shootout as host Winnipeg upended Phoenix.

After a fruitless overtime, Devin Setoguchi and Antoine Vermette exchanged third-round goals to extend the shootout. Jokinen gave Winnipeg the lead with a snap shot that beat Mike Smith to the stick side, and Ondrej Pavelec used a poke check to deny Mike Ribeiro and preserve the win.

Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little scored in regulation while Pavelec made 34 saves for the Jets, who improved to 3-1-1 in February. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Martin Hanzal tallied while Smith stopped 27 shots as the Coyotes lost for the fourth time in six games.

Ekman-Larsson opened the scoring 12:17 into the game, gathering a pass from Radim Vrbata in the high slot and whistling a low shot past Pavelec. Wheeler drew the Jets even just 2:38 later as his shot from the side boards fooled Smith, who wasn't sure where the puck was.

Little gave the Jets their first lead of the night with just under two minutes remaining in the second period as he intercepted a centering pass deep in the Coyotes zone and beat Smith from the doorstep. Hanzal made it a 2-2 game 6:40 into the third, backhanding a rebound underneath Pavelec's left pad.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Winnipeg improved to 6-5 in the shootout, while Phoenix dropped to 4-5. ... Ekman-Larsson, who won silver with Team Sweden at the Olympics, led all players with 29:18 of ice time. ... Wheeler's goal ended his five-game drought.
Top Game Performances
 
Phoenix   Winnipeg
Oliver Ekman-Larsson 1 Points Bryan Little 1
Oliver Ekman-Larsson 1 Goals Bryan Little 1
Rob Klinkhammer 1 Assists Dustin Byfuglien 1
Martin Hanzal 1 Power Play Goals Bryan Little 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Mike Smith .931 Save Percentage Ondrej Pavelec .944
Mike Smith 27 Saves Ondrej Pavelec 34
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Phoenix 36 2 1-5 3-4 17 35
Winnipeg 29 3 1-4 4-5 19 31
Upcoming Games
  • Winnipeg will play their next game on the road against Nashville. The Jets have a W/L % of .464 after a win and .485 after a loss.
  • Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Colorado. The Coyotes have a W/L % of .393 after a win and .516 after a loss.