Tuesday night was a good one for the New York Jets, but it was a nightmare for their NHL namesakes.
The Winnipeg Jets are in a bit of a freefall at the moment, and to make things worse, they’ve got the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings nipping at their heels for the Western Conference’s second wild card. The Jets lost their fifth game in eight tries Tuesday night, but this one was painful.
The Jets looked destined for at least a point in a tie game with the St. Louis Blues late in the third period.
Disaster struck, though, when Barret Jackman looked to make an innocent play by just dumping the puck into the Winnipeg zone from the red line in front of the benches. Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec appeared to just stop paying attention, and Jackman’s “shot” beat the goalie for the go-ahead goal.
Jackman’s look on the bench after the play pretty much said it all.
Jackman’s goal erased any good vibes the Jets had after erasing a 4-1 deficit. Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice offered in-depth analysis when he was asked about the goal after the game.
“It went in,” Maurice told reporters, according to the St. Louis Dispatch. “There’s nothing more magical than that.”
The Jets’ lead in the chase for the West’s final playoff spot is down to just a point. The Kings, 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, are just one point back with a game in hand.
