Mark Scheifele scored his 28th goal of the season with 2:54 left in overtime as the Winnipeg Jets kicked off an eight-game homestand with a 3-2 comeback win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Longtime Chicago great Jonathan Toews fought to keep the puck in the zone and Dylan Samberg stole it back from the Blackhawks moments later before feeding Scheifele, who beat Spencer Knight low to his glove side for the winner.
The goal capped a mad scramble to close the contest for Winnipeg, which was playing in overtime for the fourth straight game after going 1-0-2 on a three-game California road trip.
The Jets are now 4-10 in overtime this season, including 3-8 in games decided in three-on-three play.
Samberg, who finished with a goal and an assist, scored his first goal of the season in four-on-four action 3:59 into the game to give the early advantage to Winnipeg, which won for just the fourth time in its past 11 contests (4-3-4).
Kyle Connor sent the puck up to Scheifele, who found Samberg gliding away from his defender for the opening tally.
Teuvo Teravainen evened the game on a power-play goal with 1:12 left in the first period for Chicago, which lost for the ninth time in its past 11 games (2-3-6).
Winnipeg’s Gabriel Vilardi was assessed a four-minute double minor for high-sticking Alex Vlasic. On the ensuing power play, Connor Bedard found Frank Nazar, who, in turn, sent the puck to Teravainen in the middle for the finish.
It was the third goal in the past two games for the Finnish center, who just won a bronze medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
No goals were scored in the second period, although Bedard tested Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck several times. The reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner stopped Bedard on the doorstep multiple times. He also turned away a breakaway from Ilya Mikheyev midway through the period, finishing with 18 saves.
Ryan Greene did get past Hellebuyck 32 seconds into the third. He took a pass from Bedard and finished above Hellebuyck’s left shoulder.
The Jets, after pulling Hellebuyck, nearly evened the game with a minute left in regulation, but Gabriel Vilardi’s shot and the scramble that followed were all denied by Knight, who finished with 29 saves.
Cole Perfetti broke through with 39 seconds left, taking a pass from Scheifele and sending a wrister past Knight.
After assisting on the two earlier goals, Scheifele took over the team lead in goals with his winner. He had been tied with Connor at 27 apiece.
–Field Level Media
