Welcome back, Winnipeg, to the NHL playoffs.
Facing the daunting task of overcoming a 2-0 deficit in their playoff series with the powerful Detroit Red Wings, the Jets came up with a clutch 4-1 victory in Game 3 Sunday.A deafening roar of support from 15,544 white-clad fans gave the Jets the kind of lift they needed to come back after dropping their first two games in Detroit.
"That's why they make it the best of seven," said Detroit defenseman Mike Ramsey, who picked up an assist. "It's not over until it's over."
Keith Tkachuk, Chad Kilger, Eddie Olczyk and Dave Manson scored for the Jets, who get to play Game 4 Tuesday at home before another sold-out crowd.
Igor Larionov was the only Red Wing who could get the puck past a hot Nikolai Khabibulin in the Winnipeg net.
The Jets came out checking hard and kept it up.
"That's the way we have to play," said coach Terry Simpson, who said Sunday's win is just the first step. "It's only one game. We have to come back Tuesday night and play as good or better."
Winnipeg shut down Detroit's power play and avoided the penalties that helped give the Red Wings a 4-0 shutout in Game 2.
The Jets generated more offense than they managed in the first two games combined against the Red Wings, who set an NHL record with 62 victories this season. The Jets were still outshot 33-25.
Rangers 2, Canadiens 1
At Montreal, Adams Graves scored twice and Mark Messier played a dominant game as the New York Rangers battled back into their first-round playoff series with a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
The Rangers' crucial victory assured them that they would not go down 3-0 in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference series, and assured a Game 5 in New York on Friday night.
The Canadiens hold a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 set for Tuesday night at the Molson Centre.
Mark Recchi scored for Montreal.
Messier, who was having his injured ribs iced on the bench between his frequent shifts, logged a lot of ice time along with Graves and defenseman Brian Leetch in a must-win game for the Rangers.
The Rangers outshot Montreal for the third consecutive game - this time by 35-17 - but didn't make the defensive errors that were their undoing at home. They held Montreal to 1-for-9 on the power play.
New York ended a seven-game losing streak and won in Montreal for only the second time in their last 22 visits (2-17-3).
Canadiens defenseman Stephane Quintal left the game after two periods when he suffered dizziness after a check.
Blackhawks 7, Flames 5
At Calgary, Alberta, Chicago's Eric Daze stymied a furious comeback by the Calgary Flames with his second goal of the game Sunday, as the Blackhawks won 7-5 and took a stranglehold on their opening-round playoff series.
The Flames had rallied from a five-goal deficit to make the score 5-4 when Daze took a cross-ice pass from Jeremy Roenick. He went in all alone and beat Rick Tabaracci, sending the puck between the goaltender's legs.
Joe Murphy scored moments later to ensure the victory, giving the Blackhawks a 3-0 lead in their best-of-7 Western Conference series. The Blackhawks can complete a sweep with a victory in Game 4 Tuesday night in Calgary.
Calgary hasn't won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 1989 but the last time they were swept in a playoff series was in 1988 against the Edmonton Oilers.
Lightning 5, Flyers 4
At St. Petersburg, Fla., Alexander Selivanov scored just over two minutes into overtime, giving Tampa Bay a victory in Game 3 of their first-round NHL playoff series with Philadelphia.
The Lightning stunned the top seed in the Eastern Conference in overtime for the second straight game, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series before a league playoff-record crowd of 25,945.
Selivanov also assisted on Brian Bellows' goal that tied the game with 1:19 remaining in regulation. He slipped a rebound through the legs of goaltender Ron Hextall for the game-winner, 2:13 into the extra period.
The Flyers, who blew a 1-0 lead before losing 2-1 in overtime in Game 2, squandered a 3-1 lead this time. Eric Lindros deflected Dale Hawerchuk's shot past Tampa Bay's Jeff Reese for a 4-3 third-period advantage that Hextall couldn't hold.