Monahan gets tiebreaking goal as Jets rally for 5-3 win over Hurricanes
By The Associated Press on March 2, 2024.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Sean Monahan scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:13 left and the Winnipeg Jets rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Saturday. After Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov went 10 feet out in front of his crease to try to clear the puck but failed, Monahan controlled the puck and then shot it into the empty net as Kochetkov tried to scramble back. “We were trying to put more pressure on them,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. “Even though we tied it up, we wanted to maintain that pressure. He comes out of the net and we’re chasing the pucks down and it just bounced our way.” Nino Niederreiter added an empty-net goal with 10 seconds left for his second goal of the period. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele also scored for Winnipeg, which won for the fifth time in six games. “A comeback win always feels good,” Monahan said. “Everyone stuck with it. It was a big team win.” Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen scored for Carolina. Andrei Svechnikov had two assists and Kochetkov made 28 saves for the Hurricanes, who lost for the third time in five games. “Every goal had some silly thing that we did,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You play good teams and that’s what they’re going to do. They’re going to capitalize.” After falling behind 3-0, the Jets scored three goals in the first six minutes of the third period. Connor scored from the point at 1:36 of the third after Seth Jarvis was unable to clear the zone. Niederreiter followed that up at 3:02 with a backhander past Kochetkov to cut Carolina’s lead to 3-2. Scheifele evened the score at 3 with a power-play goal at 5:40. He faked Kochetkov with his forehand and pulled the goalie away from the net and tapped a backhander in. “I felt we were playing the game a lot better throughout the first 40 minutes,” Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrisey said. “So it’s easier to get that going than trying to turn it on after a bad 40 minutes.” Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets, who were hurt by their special teams in falling behind 3-0. Winnipeg started the game 0 for 4 on the power play and gave up a power-play goal to Aho in the second period. Neither team could get much going on the offensive end after an early afternoon start. The Hurricanes broke the scoreless tie at 10:12 in the second period with Necas’ goal. Necas corralled a stretch pass near mid-ice and then made Winnipeg defenseman Dylan Samberg choose between playing the pass or shot. Necas snapped a wrist shot past Hellebuyck from the left circle. Aho set up Teravainen at 15:54, just seconds after Monahan beat Kochetkov but hit the crossbar with the shot. Aho was able to beat Monahan to the puck at the blue line and feed Teravainen in the slot for the 2-0 advantage. Hellebuyck made his best save of the game after Aho found Seth Jarvis with a crossing pass to the post with 2:04 left in the period. Svechnikov was able to connect with Aho on a similar play, which Aho made sure to finish on Carolina’s power play with 48 seconds left in the period for the 3-0 lead. Winnipeg: At Buffalo on Sunday. Carolina: Host Montreal on Thursday. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl 22-21
