Jets 2, Lightning 1
Blake Wheeler scored an unassisted goal with 7:16 left in the third period to snap a tie as visiting Winnipeg rallied to end Tampa Bay’s five-game point streak.
Drew Stafford tied the game during a five-minute power play midway through the final period and Wheeler reached 20 goals for the third time in his career. Ondrej Pavelec turned aside 15 shots to end a personal three-game losing streak as the Jets moved back ahead of Los Angeles for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Nikita Kucherov scored his 26th goal to put the Lightning ahead in the third period, but was later ejected when he boarded defenseman Toby Enstrom. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves as Tampa Bay – 4-0-1 in its previous five contests -- lost in regulation for only the seventh time in 34 games on home ice.
Kucherov was given a five-minute major penalty for the hit on Enstrom at 8:01 and the Jets capitalized as Stafford scored on a quick turnaround shot from the left circle 10:00 into the third. Wheeler got the winner after intercepting Victor Hedman’s pass on a 4-on-4 and cutting across the slot before beating Vasilevskiy stick side just inside the left post.
The Jets finished with a 16-5 edge in shots during the second session and Vasilevskiy kept the game scoreless, including big saves on Mark Scheifele and Chris Thorburn. Rookie Jonathan Drouin dropped the puck to Kucherov, who whipped a shot over Pavelec’s glove from the top of the right circle 4:13 into the third period for a 1-0 lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Enstrom returned to the game after receiving medical attention. … Winnipeg D Paul Postma played his 100th NHL game and F Matt Halischuk played for the first time since Jan. 29 after suffering a lower-body injury. … Tampa Bay D Matt Carle (abdominal) returned to the lineup after missing 23 games and had an assist on Kucherov’s goal while logging 18:06 of ice time.