Jets clinch berth despite SO loss
The official game recap Colorado Avalanche vs Winnipeg JetsThe Winnipeg Jets lost 1-0 in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on Thursday but clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth minutes later when the Los Angeles Kings were defeated by the Calgary Flames.
Ryan O'Reilly and Matt Duchene scored against Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec in the shootout. Pavelec made 21 saves through overtime to earn his third straight shutout.
Colorado backup goalie Reto Berra, making his 12th start of the season, made 41 saves and stopped each Jets shooter, Blake Wheeler and Andrew Ladd.
Winnipeg (42-26-13) clinched the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference by earning a point for getting past regulation coupled with the Kings' 3-1 loss to the Flames in Calgary.
The Jets' 97 points matches the franchise record, which was set in 2006-07 when it played as the Atlanta Thrashers.
Winnipeg was coming off back-to-back shutouts against the Minnesota Wild and St.Louis Blues. Pavelec made 34 saves Tuesday in a 1-0 win at St. Louis.
The Avalanche (38-31-12) were eliminated from playoff contention Saturday after finishing first in the Central Division last season.
The Jets outshot the Avalanche 12-6 in the second period, 20-11 through 40 minutes and 41-21 through regulation.
Berra made 17 saves in the third period, including two against Wheeler with 10 seconds to play. His best save in overtime came against Ladd with 50 seconds to go.
The Avalanche's best scoring chance came at 11:28 of the third period while they were killing their fourth penalty of the game, a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Winnipeg's Michael Frolik lost the puck to O'Reilly, who passed to Alex Tanguay to begin a 2-on-1 rush. Tanguay skated down right wing and passed to O'Reilly, who forced Pavelec to make a tough save.
Jets left wing Mathieu Perreault sustained a leg injury and didn't return after being checked to the ice by Zach Redmond at 5:42 of the second period.
Avalanche defenseman Brad Stuart sustained a leg injury early in the first period and didn't return.
-- by Rick Sadowski for NHL.com --
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
10/04/2015 - 08:00
