Jets overcome three-goal deficit and soar past Preds

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA » Blake Wheeler scored on the power play with 4:59 to play and the Winnipeg Jets roared back from an early 3-0 deficit to defeat the Nashville Predators 7-4 on Tuesday night and grab a 2-1 lead in their secondround playoff series.

After missing on a number of earlier chances, the Jets captain connected on a rebound off Mark Scheifele’s shot from a tight angle for his second of the postseason.

Dustin Byfuglien had two goals and an assist for Winnipeg, while Paul Stastny added a goal and two assists.

Wheeler also had an assist and added the empty-netter with under a minute to play. Brandon Tanev also scored with Rinne on the bench in the game’s final minute.

Jacob Trouba scored a goal and set up another for a two-point night. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 stops.

Filip Forsberg and P.K. Subban each had a goal and an assist for Nashville, while Mike Fisher and Austin Watson also scored.

Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen both added two assists for the Predators, who got 38 stops from Pekka Rinne.

Game 4 is Thursday in Winnipeg before things shift back to Nashville for Game 5 on Saturday.

Nashville blew a 3-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes to trail 4-3 through two periods, but tied it 4-4 at 7:40 of the third when Forsberg wheeled across the top of the slot on the power play to beat Hellebuyck upstairs with his fifth goal of the playoffs after Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine hit the post.

Trouba then turned the puck over at the offensive blue line to send Viktor Arvidsson in alone on a breakaway, but Hellebuyck was there with a big glove stop.

Winnipeg got its third man advantage of the third with 5:59 remaining when Subban went off for high sticking after failing to clear the puck twice late in a previous Jets power play before Wheeler scored the winner.

Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor missed on a breakaway that would have sealed it on another man advantage before Nick Bonino hit the post at the other end for Nashville.

Wheeler and Tanev sealed it into an empty net in the final minute.

Down 3-0 after a poor first period, Winnipeg roared out of the gate in the second to tie it during a frantic three-minute stretch.

Stastny got the comeback started at 2:38 when Trouba’s bouncing shot from the point struck his skate in front and ricocheted in off the crossbar and straight out.