Late Silfverberg Goal Lifts Ducks Over Jets

It looked like the Anaheim Ducks were going to have to go to overtime against the Winnipeg Jets, but Jakob Silfverberg had other ideas as he scored with just 21 seconds remaining to lift his team to a 2-1 victory on Saturday night.

Patrick Maroon also scored for the Ducks as they seized a 2-0 series lead over the Jets as they prepare to head north to Winnipeg.

If the Jets wanted to come out of the gate dominating possession of the puck, they failed in that ambition early and often. The Ducks kept ratcheting the pace up as the game opened up, and they eventually generated a 5-on-3 power play opportunity because of that constant pressure. Unfortunately for Anaheim, the Jets had all the answers on the penalty kill, and they finished off the penalties with little trouble.

The Ducks ended up with 14 shots in the opening 10 minutes of the game, but the Jets slowly started turning momentum their way as the first period wore on. Winnipeg picked up two power plays in the final stages of the period, but the Ducks did a great job of disrupting possessions at the blue line and in the neutral zone, keeping the game scoreless through 20 minutes of play.

Patrick Maroon opened up the second period of the game with a breakaway attempt, but Ondrej Pavelec stopped him to keep the game tied. That initial push by the Ducks was all they could muster however, as Winnipeg continued their work in slowing the game down. Kyle Palmieri was sent off for a slash, but the Jets couldn’t take advantage as Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Cogliano played a key role in killing off the penalty.

After Pavelec stopped a couple more Anaheim shots at his end of the ice, his team gave him some support and scored late in the frame. Adam Pardy made an excellent move at the top of the zone as he faked a shot, and he drove down toward the net using a toe-drag maneuver. His initial shot was stopped, but he was able to pot the rebound as Frederik Andersen was prevented from kicking over to the far post. The goal was upheld after official review, and the Jets held a 1-0 lead late in the frame.

The Jets did get another power play late in the period after Ryan Kesler was sent off for his second penalty of the game, but the Ducks once again were able to kill it off, and the deficit remained one goal with 20 minutes to go in the contest.

The Ducks got some tremendous chances in the early stages of the third period, with Matt Beleskey getting denied on a breakaway attempt and Tim Jackman having two of his shot attempts stopped by Pavelec. The Jets got a few chances of their own, with Andrew Ladd getting a great one that barely went over the crossbar, but Anaheim continued to dominate as the period wore on.

Eventually, the Ducks got another opportunity on the power play thanks to a careless penalty by Ladd, and after some great puck movement they were able to take advantage. Ryan Getzlaf feathered a pass across the ice to Cam Fowler, who rifled a slap shot toward the net. Patrick Maroon ultimately got a stick on the shot, and he deflected it over Pavelec’s shoulder to tie things up at 1-1 with nine minutes to go in the contest.

The Ducks continued to up the pressure as the period wore on, and with only 21 seconds remaining on the clock, they were able to score. Silfverberg made a really nice play from the boards below the goal line, spinning out to the front of the net and firing a shot toward the goal. Pavelec couldn’t quite seal off the near post, and the puck went into the net to give the Ducks the lead and ultimately the victory.

Game 3 of the series will take place on Monday night in Winnipeg, with the game starting at 6:30 p.m. local time.