The Jets snuff the Wild

Connor's overtime wrister leaves the Wild cold

A flame on the brink

Midway through the third period in St. Paul, the Winnipeg Jets trailed. They had finished first of 32 last season, and a Round of 16 loss here would have left that candle dark on the West's shelf. They were also on their way to being outshot 35 to 21 by the Minnesota Wild. Both clubs had survived qualification night, Winnipeg over the Kings and Minnesota over the Blackhawks. Only one would be among the ten flames still burning.

Fast start, slow climb

The Jets struck first, and fast. At 12:16 of the 1st, Gabriel Vilardi batted the puck out of the air, with Mark Scheifele and Logan Stanley assisting. Just 0:22 later, Vladislav Namestnikov deflected one in. After Jake Middleton and Luke Schenn dropped the gloves early in the 2nd, Minnesota climbed back. Kirill Kaprizov ripped a wrist shot at 6:03, and defenseman Brock Faber tied it with a slap shot at 13:12.

Then Stanley went off for slashing, and Marcus Johansson made the Jets pay with a power-play wrister at 3:48 of the 3rd. The Wild led for the first time.

Overtime, over quickly

Nino Niederreiter answered at 11:35 with a wrist shot, set up by Gustav Nyquist and Morgan Barron. Connor Hellebuyck finished with 32 saves on 35 shots and kept Winnipeg alive long enough. In overtime Kyle Connor needed only 0:46, wristing the winner past Filip Gustavsson. The Wild's flame went cold. Winnipeg's burns on.