The Winnipeg Jets surprising season has come to an end. The Anaheim Ducks beat the Jets 5-2 to sweep the best-of-seven series and advance to the second round against either the Calgary Flames or the Vancouver Canucks. Anaheim became the first team to advance to the second round.
Bryan Little opened the scoring for the Winnipeg Jets. With Andrew Cogliano in the box, Mathieu Perreault found Little just 19 seconds into the powerplay for his second of the series to give the Jets a 1-0 lead.
The Ducks responded just 1:26 later. Emerson Etem made a great move around Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba and finished it off with a beautiful backhand upstairs beating Pavelec to tie the game 1-1. Corey Perry picked up an assist.
Corey Perry displayed his playmaking abilities once again in the second period. With the Jets scrambling in their own zone, Perry made a great dangle around Dustin Byfuglien and passed it to a wide open Cogliano who one-timed it past Pavelec for the go-ahead goal.
Ryan Kesler gave the Ducks a two goal lead at 6:41 of the third period. Pavelec made a great stop on Simon Depres on an odd-man rush but Kesler was there to bury home the loose puck to put the Ducks up 3-1.
Mark Stuart wouldn’t let the Jets go out with a whimper. Stuart shot from the point found its way to the back of the net to cut the lead to one. Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little drew the assists.
The Jets pressed hard to get the equalizer but it led to a 2-on-1 opportunity for the Ducks. Kesler finished off the odd man rush and seal the deal for Anaheim. Jakob Silfverberg and Patrick Maroon assisted on the play. Sami Vatanen scored an empty netter to make it 5-2.
After the game, coach Paul Maurice reflected on the fans support through the ups and downs.
“There was an appreciate there and the fans showed it,” Maurice said. “It wasn’t the result we wanted, it wasn’t the series we wanted to give our fans. But I thought it was great.”
