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In a game in which the Winnipeg Jets dominated the shot clock, they never grabbed the lead in a 5-3 loss in Calgary to open their 2023-24 season Wednesday night.
The Jets got off to a hot start, controlling the first ten minutes thanks in part to a power play but they were unable to get one past Jacob Markstrom.
After Winnipeg killed off a penalty of their own, Josh Morrissey was called for delay of game for sending the puck over the glass, and this time the Jets couldn’t get the kill.
A rebound bounced right to Andrew Mangiapane who buried it past Connor Hellebuyck to open the scoring at the 12:29 mark.
But just over two minutes later, Kyle Connor tied the game when his wrist shot from the slot trickled through Markstrom. It’s the sixth straight year that Connor has scored in Winnipeg’s season opener, just the fourth time in NHL history somebody has done that.
Calgary regained the lead with just over two minutes to play in the first when MacKenzie Weeger sent a wrister on goal from the point and it beat Hellebuyck through a screen.
Winnipeg had a serious edge in shots on goal, 15-8, but trailed 2-1 on the scoreboard through 20 minutes.
That score went unchanged until the 11:19 mark of the second when a Dylan DeMelo point shot was deflected high over the shoulder of Markstrom by Alex Iafallo, playing in his first game as a member of the Jets.
Not long after, the Jets earned their third power play of the night and put all kinds of pressure on Markstrom but the Flames goalie continued to stand his ground and allowed his team to take the lead thanks to a shorthanded goal.
Rasmus Andersson jump-started a breakout after swatting down a puck with what may have been a high stick but it went uncalled. Moments later, Elias Lindholm found a streaking Andersson in the Jets end, and the blueliner beat Hellebuyck with a clean wrister to put the Flames ahead for the third time.
Markstrom made several more high-quality saves on a fourth Winnipeg power play as the second period expired. The Jets held a 28-14 edge in shots on goal and a 63-31 edge in shot attempts through 40 minutes but trailed 3-2.
All that pressure finally paid off with less than six minutes left after Morrissey made a great play at the Calgary blue line to keep the puck in. Morrissey found Mark Scheifele in close and the newly-signed centreman wired a perfect shot off the post and in to even the score.
But with less than two minutes left, the Jets fourth line got caught out on a long shift and iced the puck, leading to the game-winning goal.
Calgary won the ensuing faceoff and the tired Jets lost track of their checks, leading to Mangiapane getting the puck from behind the Winnipeg net to a wide-open Elias Lindholm in front for the winner with 1:32 remaining.
Winnipeg wasn’t able to generate much with the goalie pulled and Mangiapane put the nail in the coffin with an empty-netter with seven seconds left in the third.
Markstrom finished the night with 35 stops to earn the win while Hellebuyck turned aside 17 shots in defeat. Calgary also won 61 per cent of the faceoffs in the victory.
The Jets will now return to Winnipeg to play their first home game of the season Saturday afternoon against Florida. Puck drop is slated for 3 p.m. with pregame coverage starting at 1 p.m. on 680 CJOB.
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