Sharks 4, Jets 1
WINNIPEG -- If Tuesday's game between the Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks was a wrestling match, it would have been decided with the sleeper hold.
In a game devoid of any real emotion for more than 55 minutes, the Sharks defeated the Jets 4-1.
The temperature in the building only rose after Jets right winger Blake Wheeler scored what he thought was the short-handed goal that would have tied the game 2-2 early in the third period, but not only was it waved off, he was giving a tripping penalty on Sharks goalie Alex Stalock.
The Sharks scored on the ensuring five-on-three and then into an empty net to round out the scoring.
Jets defenseman Tyler Myers effectively took the Jets out of the game late in the third period when he took a five-minute retaliatory cross-checking penalty on Sharks center Tommy Wingels in the Jets zone with his team down 2-1.
The Sharks opened the scoring short-handed at 15:18 of the first period when center Chris Tierney accepted a giveaway from Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien at center ice and skated in and beat goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with a wrist shot.
Before the power-play was over, however, right winger Drew Stafford broke in on a two-on-one with Nikolaj Ehlers and fed the rookie left winger, who beat goalie Alex Stalock with a backhand for his seventh of the season at 15:41.
Just as the period was winding down, Sharks center Joe Thornton banged home a rebound in Hellebuyck's crease to make it 2-1.
NOTES: Jets G Ondrej Pavelec, who has been out with a lower-body injury since November, was on skates -- but no pads -- at the MTS Centre over the weekend. No timetable has been set for his return. ... Jets C Mark Scheifele is expected to miss another two or three games after aggravating a lower-body injury last week. ... San Jose is on the second night of a back-to-back, having defeated the Flames 5-4 in Calgary on Monday. The Jets are 5-1-0 this season against a team playing on its second of consecutive nights. ... This is the second meeting between the Jets and Sharks this season. The Jets won 4-1 earlier this month in San Jose. ... In the press box for the Sharks are C Dainius Zubrus, RW Ben Smith and D Matt Tennyson. ... The lone healthy scratch for the Jets is D Adam Pardy. ... NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in the press box, watching the game with Jets owner Mark Chipman.