This was the Jets-iest game the Jets have Jets’ed this season.

Virtually absent for the first two periods, a strong effort in the third period but derailed by choking up a multi-goal lead only to see the team pull victory from the jaws of defeat with a beautiful Mark Scheifele overtime winner all against the backdrop of a game that saw questionable officiating from both sides.

The New Jersey Devils played last night (and were blasted on the road in Washington) while the Jets were a little bit more rested and should have had fresher legs and more jump in their game, only it was the Devils who controlled play for a good majority of the first period. The Jets didn’t get their first shot until about seven minutes into the game and shortly after they did, the Devils decided to answer that with an actual goal.

Shots finished 14-8 in favor of New Jersey as the second half of the first period was slightly better for the Jets as they eased into this game as quietly as possible it would seem although a couple of penalties made sure the Devils stayed in control for almost all of it and if not for the Jets penalty kill, the deficit could have been much worse.

A slightly better effort from the Jets in the middle frame as they picked up some more offensive chances against Keith Kinkaid, but not by much as the Devils still controlled play and again out-shot the Jets 14-13. Winnipeg does even things up early into the second period though.

Thank goodness for Blake Wheeler’s elite passing ability and Mark Scheifele’s one-timer talent.

Otherwise, it was all mostly Devils again in this period and through two periods New Jersey led the Jets in high danger scoring chances by a 12-1 ratio. Again you’d be hard pressed to figure out which team was the one that played the night before and which one supposedly had the previous night off. If not for Laurent Brossoit, this is a much more lopsided score for the Devils.

Finally the Jets arrived to the game! Of course that means the Jets in their entirety with blown leads intact, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Scoring chances in the third were 12-1 for the Jets with four of those being high danger chances for the Jets. Shots ended up pretty much even at 11-10 with Winnipeg having a slight edge, but at the very least the Jets were defending a bit better for a while there and they were rewarded with a couple of hard working goals.

The two goals come about three minutes apart midway through the third and surely there is no way the Jets can blow this lead right? Two goals with less than seven minutes left in the game? Surely the Jets can’t possibly…

Uh-oh.

Jesper Bratt’s goal to bring Jersey within one came with a man advantage that Devils fans had been begging for pretty much all period and it happened as the Jets struggled to clear the zone which had been an issue for them for much of the game. With the Devils now really pressing for an equalizer, they pulled their goalie and what followed felt so inevitable for Jets fans as Taylor Hall tied things up on a crazy goal mouth scramble.

Again the Jets have issues clearing the zone, they have issues defending right around their own net and things get tied up. Brossoit likely thought the puck at some point was under him which makes one wonder if any of the Jets on the ice tried to vocalize that it was still loose. If they had, you’d sure like to see more compete out of Brossoit to try and stop that puck.

Paul Maurice did challenge for goalie interference, but when the goalie doesn’t really try to make a motion towards getting back into proper position, it’s hard to make the argument he was interfered with.

This ends up being one of the more impressive ways the Jets have blown a multi-goal lead this season and if doesn’t make you tear your hair out, then you can at least laugh at the absurdity of how almost automatic this is getting for the Jets.

As we saw a few nights ago against Buffalo, three on three overtime can actually be a bit on the boring side. A five minute (or less) version of “keep-away” where one team just skates around in circles covering an area of about 90 feet while they wait for that one perfect chance to get a shot off and not be caught in an odd-man rush against the other way. It’s bad enough that you seriously debate with yourself if games shouldn’t just end in ties again.

Three on three overtime – when played the way it is meant to be played like tonight’s game was – are thrilling, heart stopping moments where you’re constantly repeating the words “HOW?!” and “WHAT?!” and generally basking in the chaotic beauty two teams are producing.

Jets Jets had some nice early chances, the Devils had a two on zero rush stopped by Brossoit, the Jets came back with a series of good chances and then when Keith Kinkaid stopped those he gave himself one more challenge by throwing a pass up the middle of the ice that was promptly picked off by Kyle Connor who then was robbed by the glove of Kinkaid.

The Jets end up winning thanks to another Devils turnover and the sheer willpower of Mark Scheifele who decided he had enough of this game and it’s overtime antics.

 

For Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele – Two goals on the night – his second two goal game in as many nights – and that OT winner was such a thing of beauty.

For New Jersey: Marcus Johansson – A goal and five shots and was thorn in the Jets side all night with strong forechecking.