Second-period crash dooms Jets in Heritage Classic loss
WINNIPEG — The current edition of the Winnipeg Jets failed to live up to the standard set by their elders at the Heritage Classic.
With no Teemu Selanne to score a last-minute clincher at Investors Group Field — as he did Saturday to give Winnipeg a win in the alumni game — the Jets fell 3-0 to the youthled Edmonton Oilers.
“Certainly would have liked to give the fans one reason to get out of their seats today (but) we couldn’t do that for them,” said head coach Paul Maurice.
“Overall it was a spectacular weekend but the game was a tough one.”
The Jets created more chances in a fast first period and had the only power play but the game was still scoreless going into the second, when things fell apart.
“We really liked our first period, the second period that’s a problem now, we’ve talked about it a few times,” said Jets captain Blake Wheeler.
Winnipeg gave up two goals in less than two minutes, the first while they were on their second power play of the game. They surrendered a third later in the period.
The Jets have fallen behind before and managed to recover this season, coming back from a three-goal shortfall to beat Carolina in their season opener and erasing a four-goal deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs last Wednesday. But there were no miracles Sunday.
Winnipeg’s fickle weather was a little too perfect perhaps. With a temperature a shade above average at 10 C and a lot of sun, there was an almost two-hour delay to let the sun sink closer to the horizon, reducing glare and increasing player safety.
That delay didn’t help, said Wheeler, but he wasn’t using it as an excuse.
“I think it took both teams a little time to get their legs under them.”
Attendance was 33,240.