Jets 3, Coyotes 2
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Right winger Chris Thorburn scored a sensational shorthanded goal in the third period to power the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night.
Not known for his scoring touch, Thorburn showed some hustle, some muscle and a bit of razzle dazzle on the winner, just his third goal of the season. He chased down Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone, a Winnipeg native, deep into the visitors’ end, stripped the puck away, stepped in front of the net, faked a couple of moves and then flipped a backhand past Arizona goalie Anders Lindback.
The Coyotes led 2-1 after the first period on a pair of power-play goals, but Winnipeg blueliner Dustin Byfuglien tied the game in the second period with his sixth goal of the season.
Center Mark Scheifele scored his eight goal of the season for Winnipeg (10-9-2).
Right winger Shane Doan, with his sixth, and defenseman Connor Murphy, with his first of the season, scored for the Coyotes (10-9-1).
Lindback got the start for Arizona, while top netminder Mike Smith deals with a lower-body injury. The Coyotes recalled goalie Marek Langhamer from Rapid City of the East Coast Hockey League to back up Lindback, who made 20 saves.
Ondrej Pavelec got the nod for the Jets but was hurt late in the second period and was replaced by backup Michael Hutchinson to begin the final period. The goalies combined to block 27 shots.
Scheifele opened the scoring for the Jets with an unassisted marker at 6:50 of the first period when he knocked down a clearing pass, walked in and fired a wrist shot past Lindback.
The Coyotes rallied and pumped in a pair of power-play goals by Doan and Murphy to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Doan deflected a point shot that bounced by Pavelec at 9:30 and Murphy's hard, high slap shot from just inside the blue line found the top corner at 15:49.
Winnipeg pulled even at 12:48 of the middle frame when Byfuglien crept in, took a soft pass from fourth-line center Andrew Copp and beat Lindback with a wrist shot for the lone goal of the period.
Pavelec was injured late in the second period when Doan slammed into him after missing on a partial breakaway and the goalie stayed on the ice for several minutes aided by the Jets trainer. He played out the period but did not return for the third, with Huchinson getting pressed into duty.
Doan served out a two-minute minor penalty for goalie interference, but Winnipeg's power-play unit didn't get a shot on goal.
NOTES: Arizona RW Steve Downie is still nursing an upper-body injury and did not dress. ... Jets RW Blake Wheeler was in the lineup despite taking a puck in the face from a shot by D Dustin Byfuglien in practice on Friday. He has been dependable and durable for the Jets, missing just five games since the start of the 2011-12 season. ... Coyotes rookie LW Max Domi was born in Winnipeg in 1995 when his dad, former NHL tough guy Tie Domi, kept the peace for the original Jets. ... On Thursday, the Jets reassigned rookie C Nick Petan to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. A former all-star junior player with the Portland Winterhawks, Petan scored a goal in Winnipeg's first game of the season but went pointless in 13 games since. ... Winnipeg hosts the struggling Colorado Avalanche on Monday night to finish up a three-game home stand. The Coyotes host the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.