WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets scored three of their five unanswered goals in the third period to rally for a 5-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Canada Life Center on Sunday.
“I think we all knew as a collective group that we had to get going and wake ourselves up,” Winnipeg forward Michael Eyssimont said. “It’s important to communicate on the bench and in the locker room between periods and kind of know what to expect from each other.”
Saku Maenalanen and Nate Schmidt each had a goal and an assist for the Jets (15-7-1) who have won four of five. Adam Lowry had two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves.
“It’s just not right to start a game like that,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said of falling behind 2-0. “Listen, I’m the head coach, so I’m responsible for the way we start and getting our team prepared, so that starts with me.
“The second thing is, I’m not a babysitter. These guys are men. They’re professionals and they’re paid to show up here and go to work. My job here is to make that happen. The third thing on that would be, you cannot play this game without passion, without emotion.”
Jakob Silfverberg and Brett Leason scored for the Ducks (6-17-3), who have lost six straight (0-4-2). Anthony Stolarz made 35 saves.
“You’re coming into a game like this, you know your backs are going to be against the wall anyway,” Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins said. “Winnipeg had just lost a tough one (4-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday), and we’re playing back to back and they’re sitting here fresh, so you know it’s going to be a tough game.”
Silfverberg gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 15:16 of the first after getting to the rebound of Frank Vatrano‘s shot in the slot.
Video: ANA@WPG: Samberg ties it with his NHL first
Leason made it 2-0 at 5:09 of the second, scoring on a breakaway after he took the puck from a defenseman. Dylan Samberg following a face-off win by the Jets.
“[Samberg] lost the puck off the draw and I kind of stepped and it was there,” Leason said. “I was able to get a breakaway and was able to capitalize. … I was playing man to man for my position. Just a lucky bounce for me and I jumped on the opportunity.”
Maenalanen cut it to 2-1 at 10:31 of the second, redirecting a pass from Schmidt at the edge of the crease.
Samberg then scored his first NHL goal to tie it 2-2 at 13:28.
“I guess you never really know when it’s going to come, but obviously a special feeling,” Samberg said. “Once I got rid of it, I knew it was just a little blooper, and I had a good angle of it and I saw it go right up and over everyone’s head and I saw it drop down right behind the goalie’s head.”
Video: ANA@WPG: Barron gives Jets lead in 3rd period
Morgan Barron put the Jets in front 3-2 at 14:23 of the third period, and Mark Scheifele extended it to 4-2 at 15:12.
“It’s so unfortunate for that third [goal] to go in and then get the quick one after that, so obviously it’s very deflating,” Eakins said. “I thought we played a hard game through the whole game.”
Schmidt scored on a point shot on the power play with 45 seconds remaining for the 5-2 final.
“They made it pretty clear, the coaching staff, something needed to change and our effort wasn’t good enough,” Barron said. “We all knew that, so I feel like it kind of slowly started getting a little better in the second. Obviously, in the third we were able to tilt the ice a little bit and create some more chances.”
NOTES: Silfverberg’s goal was his first since Oct. 30 (17 games) and his first point since Nov. 1 (16 games). … Jets forwards Blake Wheeler (three goals, seven assists), Pierre-Luc Dubois (three goals, three assists), and Cole Perfetti (one goal, six assists) each had an assist to extend his point streak to five games. … Hellebuyck has won four straight starts.
.