National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Winnipeg 3, Washington 2
When: 8:30 PM ET, Friday, March 16, 2012
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Referees: Kyle Rehman, Mike Leggo
Linesmen: Brian Murphy, Mark Wheler
Attendance: 15004


JETS 3, CAPITALS 2: Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien scored to snap a tie midway into the third period as host Winnipeg pulled to within two points of eighth-place Washington.

Captain Andrew Ladd netted his eighth goal in 11 games and Nik Antropov also tallied for the Jets, who secured their fourth straight victory at MTS Centre.

Brooks Laich recorded his fourth goal in six contests and Mathieu Perreault added a power-play goal for the Capitals, who saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.

With the game tied at 2-2, Evander Kane skated around a defender and wristed a shot that Byfuglien tapped past Tomas Vokoun. Byfuglien's 11th goal came at 9:21 of the third period.

Ondrej Pavelec, who finished with 20 saves, preserved the victory by stopping 10 of the 11 shots in the final session.

Antropov gave Winnipeg a 2-1 advantage with 3:50 remaining in the second period. Stationed behind the net, Tim Stapleton patiently waited for Antropov to position himself in front - with the latter converting the feed for his 12th goal.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Winnipeg has won three of the five meetings between the Southeast Division rivals. ... The Jets signed defenseman Julian Melchiori to a three-year entry level contract on Friday. The 20-year-old Melchiori has played for both Kitchener and Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League this season. ... Capitals defenseman Mike Green returned after serving his three-game suspension.

Top Game Performances
 
Washington   Winnipeg
Brooks Laich 1 Points Dustin Byfuglien 2
Brooks Laich 1 Goals Dustin Byfuglien 1
Marcus Johansson 1 Assists Dustin Byfuglien 1
Mathieu Perreault 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Tomas Vokoun .893 Save Percentage Ondrej Pavelec .909
Tomas Vokoun 25 Saves Ondrej Pavelec 20
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Washington 22 2 1-3 5-5 12 29
Winnipeg 28 3 0-5 2-3 8 28
Upcoming Games
  • Winnipeg will play their next game at home against Carolina. The Jets have a W/L % of .424 after a win and .526 after a loss.
  • Washington will play their next game on the road against Chicago. The Capitals have a W/L % of .541 after a win and .471 after a loss.