Dustin Byfuglien broke a tie with 1:28 remaining in the Winnipeg Jets’ 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday night.
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The big man deftly slipped the puck through his own legs and bounced it off the boards, picked it up again on the other side of Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman and then snapped it high past goalie Karri Ramo from a sharp angle for his second goal of the year.
Calgary coach Bob Hartley challenged the goal to see if Byfuglien was offside, but it stood.
Blake Wheeler added an empty-net goal and Bryan Little also had a goal and assist for Winnipeg.
The Flames confirmed that Ramo will stand in net for the team as they face off against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, effectively splitting the first four games of the season with last year’s starter, Jonas Hiller.
It was Calgary who had a 1-0 lead after the first courtesy of a goal by centre Mikael Backlund.
Goaltender Ondrej Pavelec reacted to Byfuglien’s game-winner and the overall team effort. “The feeling going back home is we can still get a lot better”, center Bryan Little, who helped turn around Tuesday’s game with a shorthanded tally, told reporters. The Jets had chances to take the lead but the Flames managed to kill it off.Byfuglien gave the Jets the lead late in the third. It’s the second game of the Jets six-game homestand. The Jets held Calgary to nine shots in the final 40 minutes Friday, allowing just one in a 19-minute, 33-second stretch.3. “I’m happy they didn’t score in the third”. We have lots of young players who are learning the game, especially the National Hockey League game and how to play in late minutes. The St. Louis Blues are averaging 3.4 goals per game and are scoring on 20 percent of their power plays. Elliott has a 1.91 GAA in his last five starts against the Jets while Allen has stopped 58 of 61 shots over two career outings against Winnipeg. Ben Chiarot is questionable. Jori Lehtera’s goal in the first period Friday marked the first time this season the Blues have not surrendered the game’s opening tally.2.
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Winnipeg Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers (27), left to right, Mark Scheifele… He used a quick release to beat Boston G Tuukka Rask, New Jersey G Cory Schneider and New York Islanders G Thomas Greiss…. Calgary returns home for three games, starting Saturday against Edmonton.
