TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nino Niederreiter and Morgan Barron scored goals in the second period, Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Sunday night.
Nate Schmidt scored in the first period and Hellebuyck stopped all 14 shots he faced in the third for the Jets, who improved to 8-3-0 in the second game from back-to-back sets.
Alex Killorn and Anthony Cirelli scored for Tampa Bay and Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 19 saves. Victor Hedman hit the post in the closing seconds.
Niederreiter’s power play goal 1:01 into the second period put the Jets ahead 2–1. He picked up the deflection of a shot from Mark Scheifele and tucked it between Vasilevskiy’s pads.
Barron hit the rebound of Brenden Dillon’s shot at 9:04 into a half-empty net; the goal, making it 3–1, was upheld after the Lightning were challenged for goaltender interference.
Killorn gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead 1:19 into the game as his wrist shot crept past Hellebuyck and barely slid over the goal line. But the Jets tied it at 10:15 a.m. when Schmidt’s direct shot from just inside Lightning forward Michael Eyssimont’s blue line deflected and went past Vasilevskiy.
The Lightning received a bench minor for Barron’s failed challenge on goal, but they came within 3–2 at 10:01 on Cirelli’s short breakaway goal. Tampa Bay had three power plays later in the period, including a 5-to-3 lead of 1:02, but was unable to score.
Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos returned after missing the final two bouts of Saturday night’s 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks with a lower body injury. Winnipeg played without its top defenseman, Josh Morrissey, who suffered a lower body injury in Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Florida Panthers.
NEXT ONE
Jets: Complete a three-game trip in Carolina on Tuesday.
Lightning: Play the first back-to-back game in New Jersey on Tuesday.
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