Flames 5, Jets 4 (SO)
WINNIPEG -- This was your father's Jets-Flames game.
It took a little while for the two teams to renew acquaintances in Winnipeg -- they hadn't played in the city since April 6, 1996 -- but if you weren't paying close attention, you'd have sworn it was the mid-1980s.
There were no goals in the first period, three in the second and five in the third as the Calgary Flames beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 in a shootout.
You want firewagon hockey? The Jets outshot the Flames 47-33, including 23 in the second period alone.
Fittingly, there was a shootout in this shootout, which ended after Flames center Sean Monahan beat Jets goalie Al Montoya in the eighth round.
The Flames opened the scoring at 9:01 of the second period when left winger Mike Cammalleri blasted a power-play goal past Montoya. The Jets responded a little more than two minutes later when right winger Michael Frolik banged a rebound past goaltender Reto Berra after a point shot from defenseman Grant Clitsome.
The Flames retook the lead at 15:24 when a point shot from defenseman TJ Brodie appeared to pinball off the body parts of several players before fluttering by a screened Montoya.
Former Flame Olli Jokinen tied it at 2-2 when his innocent-looking wristshot found its way past a screened Berra. It was the veteran center's fourth goal of the year. He had just seven in all of last year's shortened season.
Just when it looked like the Jets had the momentum, their league-worst power play failed them once again. Flames center Matt Stajan came in on a shorthanded rush and -- after Lance Bouma ran interference on Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien -- passed it to his left winger, who deked out Montoya at 11:17.
Byfuglien tied it again -- on that same power play -- at 12:10 of the final frame when he slapped home a rebound in Berra's crease for his fifth of the season.
Flames center Jiri Hudler appeared to have driven the dagger into the Jets' hearts at 16:34 when his snapshot from the top of the circle beat Montoya. But then the Jets' recent third-period heroics continued when center Bryan Little sent the game into overtime with his team-leading 12th goal with six seconds remaining.
NOTES: Jets C Olli Jokinen knows a thing or two about the Flames having had a pair of tours of duty in Calgary (2008-2010 and 2010-2012) interrupted by a 26-game stint with the New York Rangers. ... Jamie Macoun, a former Flames defenseman, is still a four-letter word in Winnipeg more than 28 years after breaking Dale Hawerchuk's ribs in the Jets' first-round playoff win in 1985. Minus their leader, arguably the best Jets team ever was subsequently swept by the Edmonton Oilers. ... Flames C Sean Monahan is one of the early Rookie of the Year candidates. His 12 points is tied for second place in rookie scoring. ... Calgary was one of the last teams to play in Winnipeg since the NHL returned for the 2011-12 season. The two that have yet to return to Manitoba are the Columbus Blue Jackets (who played at Winnipeg in a preseason game in September 2011) and the Vancouver Canucks.
