The third time wasn’t the charm for the Winnipeg Jets. Meanwhile, the same can’t be said for the Anaheim Ducks.
For a third straight time in this physical first-round series, the Ducks went into the third period trailing and again they were able to come back for a win. Anaheim took Game 3 on Monday by a final score of 5-4 in overtime, pushing the Jets to the brink of elimination with a 3-0 series lead.
So much anticipation had been building for this event.
The first Stanley Cup playoff game in Winnipeg since 1996. The fans were loud. There was a whiteout in the MTS Centre. And the Jets, after three goals in a wild second period to gain the lead, were two minutes and 14 seconds away from a big win and getting back into the series.
Then Ryan Kesler, who was front and center throughout this game, scored the tying goal, eventually sending it to the extra period. That’s when Rickard Rakell, involved in a knee-on-knee collision in the first period, was given credit for the winner on a deflection in front of Ondrej Pavelec.
That stunned the crowd and the Jets.