A close game was expected between the Winnipeg Jets and the Southeast division-leading Florida Panthers on Thursday, March 1 at the MTS Centre. Let's just say the game didn't go according to plan, as the Jets routed the Panthers, 7-0. Here's a timeline of the evening's stunning events. <\/p>\n
Fans cheer the Jets at the MTS Centre. Wikimedia Commons <\/p>\n
7:32 p.m. Winnipeg comes into the game four points behind the Panthers in the Southeast and one point out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The home crowd senses the importance of the game, as the Jets take the ice to a vociferous, standing ovation. It'll get louder before the game is over. <\/p>\n
7:43 p.m. Evander Kane steals the puck in Florida's zone, skates in alone and beats Panthers goaltender Jose Theodore at 4:01 of the first period for the first goal of the game. In the process, Kane extends his career-high point streak to eight games. <\/p>\n
7:46 p.m. Jim Slater buries a rebound at 6:03 of the first to make it 2-0. Mark Stuart and Chris Thorburn draw assists on Slater's ninth goal of the season and first in 19 games. So much for the Panthers taking the crowd out of the game. Only a few minutes into the action, the MTS Centre is rocking. <\/p>\n
8:13 p.m. End of the first period. Winnipeg leads the Panthers in both shots and hits at 13-7 and 15-7, respectively. The Jets are showing no ill effects from Monday's 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in which they allowed four unanswered goals in the third period. <\/p>\n
9:01 p.m. End of the second period. The Jets still lead 2-0, but Florida controlled play for much of the middle frame, outshooting Winnipeg, 17-8. The Jets record this season when leading after three periods is 23-3-1. Conversely, Florida is 3-17-2 when trailing after three. <\/p>\n
9:21 p.m. Kyle Wellwood tips home Stuart's blast from the top of the circle at 1:49 of the third period to make it 3-0. Kane draws the secondary assist for his second point of the game. <\/p>\n
9:25 p.m. The Panthers turn over the puck in Winnipeg's zone, sparking an unheard of 5-on-1 rush the other way. Blake Wheeler ultimately feeds Bryan Little, who fires into an empty net for his 19th goal of the season to make it 4-0. Scott Clemmensen replaces Theodore to the delight of the MTSC crowd. <\/p>\n
9:33 p.m. Nik Antropov bangs home a loose puck in front of the cage on the power play for his 10th goal of the seasonthe Jets lead, 5-0. Winnipeg entered the game with the top-ranked home power play in the National Hockey League. The Jets went 1-for-3 on the man advantage. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nAnatomy of a Winnipeg Jets Blowout: Fan's Take<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"