The Winnipeg Jets might look back on this series with the Anaheim Ducks and see a number of missed opportunities that proved costly.
The Jets held third-period leads in each of the first three games, and couldn’t hold on. The Ducks led the league in third-period comebacks during the regular season, and continued that trend in this series.
On Wednesday, the Ducks silenced the Jets with a 5-2 win in Winnipeg. The Ducks are off to the second round after completing the sweep.
“Every time we gained an inch, they came back with two. It was just one of those things. It was an even series,” said Blake Wheeler, as per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun.
"There's luck in a game maybe but over a potential 7-game series the best team almost always wins and they were better than we were."Maurice
— Ken Wiebe (@WiebesWorld) April 23, 2015
As the final seconds ticked down, the fans, clad in white, stood to salute their team. Their team saluted the fans following the handshake. It’s been 19 years since a Stanley Cup playoff game took place in that city and Jets fans were loud from start to finish during Games 3 and 4.
A force in Game 3, Ryan Kesler showed up in similar fashion in the clincher, scoring twice in the third period, including the winner less than seven minutes into the third period.
The Jets made a game of it.
As the fans stood up, trying to give their team a push, Mark Stuart scored on a point shot right off a faceoff to get Winnipeg within a goal and with more than nine minutes left to find the equalizer.
But Kesler finished it off, killing any chance of a comeback with his second of the period.