The Winnipeg Jets have finally lost a game.
Thanks to two goals from Cam Atkinson and a sensational goaltending performance from Samuel Ersson, the Winnipeg Jets' franchise record eight-game winning streak has come to an end.
Despite a strong effort, the Jets dropped a game for the first time in nine showings, losing 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday evening.
"We kind of beat ourselves," forward Nino Niederreiter said postgame.
After pulling off a magnificent last-minute comeback against Chicago on Thursday, Winnipeg ran out of steam on its current stretch of nine games in 15 nights.
Unable to match Philadelphia's energy all night, the Jets fell behind early and weren't able to get things back on track as the night wore on.
“That’s how they used to play, and that’s how they play again," Niederreiter continued. "Whenever you play against Philly, you know it’s going to be a hard-fought game. They fought harder than we did tonight.”
Ersson made a number of big stops in the opening moments for the visitors, turning aside Gabe Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers in the early stages, while holding the Jets off the scoreboard through the first period.
The Flyers opened the scoring on a redirection play from Atkinson 15 minutes in. With the Jets scrambling in their defensive zone, the veteran forward tipped a Ryan Poehling offering past an out-of-position Connor Hellebuyck, making it 1-0 for the visiting through 20 minutes. The Flyers also held a 16-11 shot lead entering the middle stanza.
Philadelphia opened the scoring on a redirection play from Cam Atkinson 15 minutes into the first period. With the Jets scrambling in their defensive zone, the veteran forward tipped a Ryan Poehling offering past an out-of-position Connor Hellebuyck, making it 1-0 for the visiting through 20 minutes. The Flyers also held a 16-11 shot lead entering the middle stanza.
Much like the way the visitors ended the first, they began the second period, with Atkinson finding his second of the game.
With Neal Pionk in the box early for a slash on Morgan Frost, the Jets' defender could only watch on from the penalty box as a Frost rebound was put home by Atkinson on the doorstep.
Winnipeg battled back as the period wore on, but just couldn't find a way to beat Ersson through 40 minutes of play.
Having been outshot in both the first and second periods, the Jets rallied in the third, putting 13 pucks on net, but were unable to get anything past the stellar Flyers netminder.
Winnipeg was granted a 1:15 of six-on-four time to end the game, as Elkhorn product Travis Sanheim was given a delay of game minor late in the frame, but Ersson stood tall.
"We couldn't pull one out of the hat," Vilardi said. "Gotta score. Can't win if you can't score."
With the loss, Winnipeg snapped its eight-game wining streak and 14-game points streak, but maintained its stretch of 32 games without giving up more than three goals against.
Hellebuyck turned aside 34 of the Flyers' 36 shots on goal, while Ersson saved all 35 Jets shots he faced.
The Jets conclude their four-game homestand on Tuesday evening against the visiting New York Islanders. They will look to begin a new streak in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the disastrous stretch of games last season that saw the team free-fall from first-place in the Western Conference to a playoff bubble team that lost in the first round.
