Nikolaj Ehlers scored the overtime winner as the visiting Winnipeg Jets erased a two-goal deficit to beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3 Tuesday night.
Seconds after Winnipeg goalie Laurent Brossoit made a clutch save, Ehlers converted on a two-on-one rush with Andrew Copp at the 2:20 mark.
Brossoit made 38 saves for the Jets, who have won two of three games to start the season, both in overtime. Oddly enough, Winnipeg has yet to hold a lead during regulation time.
The game was notable also because of who didn't play. The Jets were without sniper Patrik Laine as well as a pair of key defensemen, Dylan DeMelo and Tucker Poolman, while Senators rookie Tim Stutzle missed the game due to injury.
Even without Laine, the Jets completed their second impressive comeback of the season. With Winnipeg down 3-1 late in the second period, Kyle Connor gave his team momentum with a power-play goal at 16:12 of the frame. Connor, who is off to a hot start with three goals already this season, one-timed a cross-ice pass from Blake Wheeler for the tally.
Then, Wheeler forced overtime when he deflected Josh Morrissey's point shot and found the net with 77 seconds left in regulation. It marked Wheeler's first goal of the season as part of a two-point night.
The young Senators were left lamenting a blown opportunity after a strong start. Ottawa's Josh Norris opened the scoring with a power-play goal 4:41 into the clash thanks to a lucky bounce, as his pass attempt banked off Morrissey's skate and into the net for his first NHL goal.
Just past the midway point of the opening frame, Chris Tierney doubled the lead when he deflected a point shot to pot his second goal of the season.
As the game was on the verge of being out of hand, Adam Lowry put the Jets on the board with 1:51 remaining in the first period when he deflected a high point shot. However, Alex Galchenyuk, who suited up with Stutzle out of the lineup, replied with his team's second man-advantage marker of the night -- a rocket of a one-timer from the right circle at 11:47 of the second period.
But the hosts just couldn't hang on for what would have been their second win of the season. Matt Murray finished with 24 saves in the loss.
--Field Level Media
Winnipeg | Ottawa | |
Blake Wheeler 2 | Points | Alex Galchenyuk 1 |
Blake Wheeler 1 | Goals | Alex Galchenyuk 1 |
Josh Morrissey 2 | Assists | Drake Batherson 1 |
Kyle Connor 1 | Power Play Goals | Alex Galchenyuk 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Laurent Brossoit .927 | Save Percentage | Matt Murray .857 |
Laurent Brossoit 38 | Saves | Matt Murray 24 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Winnipeg | 28 | 4 | 1-5 | 3-5 | 10 | 26 |
Ottawa | 41 | 3 | 2-5 | 4-5 | 10 | 31 |