WINNIPEG – Being in the playoff race wasn’t anything immediately achievable for the Winnipeg Jets after the Olympic break. Tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks could’ve pulled them within three points of that playoff spot.

So much had to go right for Winnipeg, until it didn’t go right at all.

“We laid a big fat egg,” Scott Arniel said about the Jets’ performance in the 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

Hockey games can change in an instant, and this game certainly had that instant swing.

At one point, it felt like the Winnipeg Jets were going to take the Ducks to the brink by scoring the opening goal of the game. A great shot by Elias Salomonsson was tipped in by Morgan Barron, and the Jets seemed to have some wind in their sails.

One lapse defensively turned into a scoring outburst in 1:44 for Anaheim, and what was scoreless for the opening period and a part of the second became 3-1 in the blink of an eye.

Anaheim got its trio of goals from Tim Washe, Ryan Poehling, and Alex Killorn, and the final goal from Killorn was the nail in the coffin for Winnipeg possibly finding new life.

Winnipeg failed to generate any meaningful chances throughout the night, and when Anaheim upped the pressure, the Jets folded like a dollar store tent.

Winnipeg, a team with a coach preaching not to quit regardless of their standings position, did their best Sleeping Beauty impression in the first 40 minutes, posting only seven shots on goal.

“That part about getting shots? We didn’t have the puck. Anaheim had the puck most of the night,” Arniel said when asked about his biggest contracts, captain, and alternates about getting shots on goal.

Mark Scheifele, Gabriel Vilardi, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, and Adam Lowry all failed to record a shot on goal against the Anaheim Ducks.

“If we’re going to get in, our top players have to be our top players,” Arniel said when asked about whether he needed more from his top players.

“Everybody else has to play their roles. It was throughout the lineup,” Arniel added.

The third period was the Jets’ most successful, but it was the most ruthless from the crowd all season long.

The crowd did their best Bronx-esque cheering for simple shots on goal, collectively screamed: “Shoot!” There were even chants of “shoot the puck!” ringing throughout Canada Life Centre briefly in the third period.

The cherry on top from the crowd was a loud “shoot the (f’n) puck!” screamed by a fan, and that captured the level of frustration not only on the ice, but in the stands.

Winnipeg generated some chances late, and they got extended zone time late in the period, and even with the net empty, they still couldn’t find anything late to give themselves a fighting chance.

The Jets gave up an empty net goal to Jackson LaCombe and the Ducks, and that sealed the Jets’ fate in the eventual 4-1 loss.

Winnipeg will look to regroup on Thursday night as they host the New York Rangers. The Jets could’ve pulled themselves within three points of a wildcard spot, but a deflating loss to the Ducks could make it a seven-point gap for the Jets to crawl out of.

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