Music: {allcanada} Wild rally past Jets with three goals in second period

Monday, December 29, 2014

{allcanada} Wild rally past Jets with three goals in second period

Bangerz (Deluxe Version) - Miley Cyrus

WINNIPEG -- The situation looked grim for the Minnesota Wild early in the second period against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

Minnesota was losing 2-0 on the road, Winnipeg goaltender Michael Hutchinson looked sharp, and a regulation loss would have left the Wild 11 points behind the Jets in the Western Conference standings.

But three second-period goals sent the Wild on their way to a 3-2 win at MTS Centre in the second game of a home-and-home set between the Central Division foes. The win ended Minnesota's five-game losing streak (0-2-3) and improved it to 7-1-3 against the Central Division.

Winnipeg had lost once in regulation since Nov. 23 before Monday and was on a five-game point streak (4-0-1).

Darcy Kuemper, who missed the first game of the home-and-home Saturday because of food poisoning, made 28 saves for Minnesota (17-13-4).

Jets coach Paul Maurice started Michael Hutchinson for the third consecutive game, the fourth time in the past five, and the rookie goalie made 28 saves.

Ryan Carter, Justin Fontaine and Marco Scandella each scored a goal for Minnesota. Brett Sutter, recalled from Iowa of the American Hockey League on Sunday, and Kyle Brodziak each had two assists.

Wild right wing Jason Pominville had an assist to extend his point streak to five games (two goals, five assists), and he has points in 12 of his past 15 games (four goals, 11 assists). In three games against Winnipeg this season, Pominville has a goal and five assists.

Michael Frolik and Mathieu Perreault scored for the Jets (19-11-7).

The Wild were playing without first-line center Mikael Granlund, who broke his wrist against Winnipeg in a 4-3 overtime loss Saturday. Granlund had surgery Monday, and the Wild announced that he will be out four weeks. Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin, who sustained an upper-body injury Saturday, did not play Monday.

Two goals from a Winnipeg power play that had one in its past four games provided Hutchinson with a 2-0 lead 20 seconds into the second period.

The Jets had one shot in the first 12 minutes of the game, but they took a 1-0 lead late in the period when Frolik's snap shot from the right circle slipped past Kuemper on the man advantage at 16:00. It was Frolik's eighth goal; he has at least a point in four of his past six games (two goals, three assists).

Winnipeg closed the first period by killing a Minnesota 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:53 after Dustin Byfuglien and Jay Harrison took back-to-back minors.

Perreault put the Jets ahead 2-0 on the power play with a tap-in off a cross-crease pass from Wheeler 20 seconds into the second period. Five of Perreault's nine goals have come in the past five games. Perreault saw his eight-game point streak (five goals, four assists) come to an end Saturday, leaving him one game shy of tying his career-high.

Carter cut Winnipeg's lead in half at 4:12 when Jets defenseman Paul Postma touched the puck inside the defensive zone and negated an impending Minnesota high stick. Carter finished the play with a shot high over Hutchinson for his third goal.

Fontaine's third goal tied the game 2-2. He took a pass from Sutter and beat Hutchinson from in close with 3:29 left in the second period.

Scandella gave the Wild a 3-2 lead with 11.4 seconds left in the second period with a long slap shot from the left point that deflected off Harrison and eluded Hutchinson. Scandella's goal moved his point streak to a career-high four games (three goals, two assists), and his nine goals tie him for fifth in the NHL among defensemen.

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