In a thoroughly entertaining battle between two goaltenders representing the Central Division at next month’s All-Star Game in Florida, Juz Saros was getting the better of Connor Hellebuyck as the Predators beat the Jets 2-1 in Nashville on Tuesday night. Defeated by -1.
Dreams of a goalie’s duel seemed to have hit the first period when Pierre-Luc Dubois scored just 48 seconds into the game, finishing off a great cross-ice pass from Cole Perfetti.
But the keepers went with the first. Both sides had many great chances as at one point the teams played hockey for nearly nine consecutive minutes without a whistle.
Winnipeg outshot Pred 15–13 in the first 20 minutes to take a 1–0 lead in the first, but the home team turned the tables in the second.
Nashville dominated the middle frame, outscoring Winnipeg 18–5, and Hellebuyck did all he could to keep the sheet clean.
The shutout bid ended at the 13:49 mark of the second when a Roman Jossi point shot deflected through Winnipeg Cody Glass and Hellebuyck to level the score.
The Predators held a 31–20 shot lead in 40 minutes, but the score remained tied at one.
Winnipeg came out of the gates strong in the third but Nashville found the go-ahead goal with less than six minutes to go.
After the Jets failed to clear the puck, Tommy Novak skated into the slot and fired a shot wide of the net, but Tanner Jeannott picked up the puck in the back of the net and beat Hellebuyck on a wraparound to put the Preds in front for the first time. kept.
It was Jeannot’s first goal since 27 October.
Both teams had several chances to score but as the clock ticked down both Hellebuyck and Saros brought their A-game.
Winnipeg pulled a goalie with two minutes remaining to try and push for an equaliser. Nashville had a great chance to end it with an empty netter but Josh Morrissey blocked a Mikael Granlund shot from the faceoff dot to keep his team alive.
But the Jets were unable to get one past Saros. Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers both hit the crossbar in the waning minutes but Nashville escaped with a 2–1 victory.
Hellebuyck was excellent in the game, turning aside 39 shots in the loss, while Saros stopped 32 shots to even the season series at one game apiece.
The Jets end their longest road trip of the season with two wins in five games as they return home to host the Sabers on Thursday. Pregame coverage on 680 CJOB begins at 5 p.m. and game action begins after 7 p.m.