By Canadian Press

Winnipeg Jets down playoff-bound Calgary Flames 3-1 in penultimate game

Apr 29, 2022 | 7:44 PM

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets continued putting up a positive ending to their season with a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames that halted the playoff-bound club’s point streak at seven games.

Blake Wheeler, Mason Appleton and Brenden Dillon scored for Winnipeg (38-32-11), which concludes its season Sunday afternoon against the Seattle Kraken.

Matthew Tkachuk recorded his 42nd goal of the season for the Flames (50-22-11), who were 5-0-2 heading into their last game of the regular season.

Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves for the Jets, who are wrapping up their campaign with a four-game homestand (3-0-0) that also includes victories over Colorado and Philadelphia.

Dan Vladar stopped 40 shots for the Pacific Division’s top club.

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The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and Winnipeg led 2-1 after the second.

Tkachuk extended his point streak to eight games (five goals, seven assists) with an unassisted goal at 3:19 of the opening period.

After he blocked a shot by defenceman Dillon, he collected the puck for a breakaway. Hellebuyck got a piece of Tkachuk’s shot, but the puck still went over the line.

Calgary took a pair of penalties midway through the first period, giving the Jets a five-on-three for 1:18 they couldn’t capitalize on. Vladar stopped Wheeler close in, then leading-scorer Kyle Connor shot wide of the net.

Wheeler made good on his opportunity with 13 seconds left in the period, using a backhand cross-ice pass from Nikolaj Ehlers to fire a one-timer past Vladar his 16th of the season.

Calgary outshot Winnipeg 18-12 in the first period, but the Jets flipped it to 19-8 in their favour during the second.

Appleton gave Winnipeg the 2-1 lead at 6:06 of the middle frame off a rebound from defenceman Josh Morrissey’s point shot.

The Jets went on the power play less than two minutes later, but only put two shots on net.

Hellebuyck denied Tyler Toffoli on a close shot with under three minutes left in the period.

Connor was snake bitten a few more times, missing the net early in the second and third periods.

When Winnipeg went on its fourth power play eight minutes into the third, another Connor blast got blocked. Adam Lowry was denied by Vladar in front of the net as the man advantage came to an end.

Dillon scored into an empty net with 20 seconds remaining.

Calgary was 0-for-2 on the power play.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2022.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press