The Winnipeg Jets hopes for a miracle finish to their first season back in Winnipeg to get into the NHL playoffs have officially come to an end tonight as they fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime.
Although the unthinkable happened elsewhere with the hapless Toronto Maple Leafs defeating the streaking Buffalo Sabres 4-3, which would have substantially helped the Jets, their fate was sealed with the Washington Capitals beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout.
Not to sound like I'm sucking on sour grapes, but the refs did no favours for the Jets tonight as they pretty much gave away the game to the Bolts with four straight power-plays, including two consecutive five-on-threes. Andrew Ladd was slashed by Victor Hedman (no call) and when he took exception and got into the face of Hedman, Ladd drew the extra two minutes and a 10-minute misconduct that ended his night when he and Hedman went to the sin bin for fighting. Before that fracas, Blake Wheeler was slashed and then cross-checked consecutively in the back and head with again no call by either official. That negated the rare power-play for the Jets at the time and the Lightning then scored on the ensuing power-play and momentum was on their side. Steven Stamkos, the NHL's leading scorer, then scored in the extra period to end it. The winning goal was the result of the linesman missing an icing call when the Lightning clearly shot the puck in from their side of center. Dustin Byfuglien seemed to think so as he played the puck as he would expecting a whistle and was upset with the nearest referee and plead his case after Stamkos scored.
