For a minute, it felt like another Tuesday night game was unfolding until it became a game of firsts and value.

Desperately chasing that second wildcard spot, Winnipeg faced a five-point deficit as the game began, and then six points as San Jose picked up two points.

The margin for error was razor-thin for the Winnipeg Jets, and they managed to make it even thinner following a 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers.

The Rangers came into town as the Eastern Conference’s basement dwellers, and it was a must-win for Winnipeg, as was Tuesday’s game against Anaheim. The Jets just couldn’t afford to lose if they wanted to keep their playoff hopes remotely alive.

Winnipeg hit two posts to open the game, and it seemed like they had their feet underneath them, but the Rangers struck 68 seconds into the game to mitigate the Jets’ early attacks.

A low shooting affair opened the game, but the New York Rangers took advantage of the looks they had, and they ended the frame with a 1-0 lead.

Shots from distance were often redirected, and a handful either sprang loose or just trickled by Connor Hellebuyck. The first of the game came early, and it was off a shot from the point by Adam Fox, but it redirected off a Jets defender’s stick to give the Rangers the early 1-0 lead.

The shots ended 6-3 in favour of Winnipeg after 20 minutes, and the low-event opening frame was over.

What followed was a series of tying up the game, a bunch of posts hit, and then the wheels fell off the bus in the final frame. Winnipeg just couldn’t manage the opening two minutes of the third period, and that was enough of a dagger for the Jets.

Leading up to the eventful third period for New York, newly acquired players for Winnipeg got themselves on the scoresheet, and the fans poured on the love for the first tying goal. Jacob Bryson’s point shot was tipped in by Isak Rosen, and the recently acquired duo blew the roof off Canada Life Centre to tie it 1-1.

“I told him before the game that weekend, (we can’t) wait any longer, we have to score now,” Isak Rosen said when asked about the special feeling of Jacob Bryson assisting on his first goal in Winnipeg.

If there was ever the feeling of calling your shots, Isak Rosen gave that impression with the ‘we have to score now’ line.

New York spoiled the party shortly after Rosen’s goal as Alexis Lafreniere scored the Rangers’ second redirection of the game, making it 2-1 in what began to feel like a back-and-forth affair.

Before the period ended, Winnipeg managed to end the period at a 2-2 tie, and it came off Kyle Connor’s nasty dangle through the Rangers’ defence to beat Igor Shesterkin.

Connor’s goal certainly felt like it had some Four Nations and Olympics bitterness behind it, and it created a highlight reel goal that feels like it’ll be replayed for a while.

When everything seemed like it was going great for Winnipeg, disaster struck 75 seconds into the final frame as Tye Kartye got the Rangers’ third goal via redirection to make it 3-2.

The Rangers had seemingly identified a weakness in the Jets’ game, and that was their positioning as the Jets couldn’t break up any passing lanes, or defend right in front of the net.

“It was all coverage,” Scott Arniel said when asked about tonight’s 6-3 loss and the third period. “We gave up nine five-on-five scoring chances, and they scored four,” Arniel added.

Winnipeg played the game with speed, and that benefited them as Gabriel Vilardi got to the net to score on his backhand and make it a 3-3 game. Winnipeg clawed back from a deficit for a third time, and they looked like they had life again, until the Rangers found another answer.

Gabe Perreault positioned himself perfectly all over the ice throughout the entire night, and the Rangers got a 4-3 lead off their fourth and final goal via redirection.

It wasn’t a pretty sight to see that many goals scored in that manner, but the Rangers took advantage of what they had in front of them, and they won the game because of it.

Adam Edstrom added insurance near the halfway mark of the third period, and the Rangers took their two-goal lead to box the Jets in their zone. One bad puckhandling play led to Edstrom’s 5-3 marker, and the Rangers had all but officially put this game away.

Finally, the empty net goal was added, and the Rangers added their bow onto a game that adds to their record, while stumping the Jets’ playoff hopes.

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