WINNIPEG - Scott Arniel was proud the Winnipeg Jets got a takedown in a marquee bout with the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
Nikolaj Ehlers scored on a breakaway 1:28 into overtime to help the Jets clinch a playoff spot by downing the Capitals 3-2 in a showdown between the NHL's top two teams.
鈥淭hat was a heavyweight battle right there. It really was,鈥 said Arniel, whosa国际传媒 in his first year as Winnipegsa国际传媒 head coach.
鈥淓ven though one teamsa国际传媒 from the East, onesa国际传媒 from the West, it was like we play each other eight times a year. There was a lot of trash talking going on, there were some big hits, there was a lot happening.
鈥淏oth teams recognized that they want to be Number 1. It was a great game. Punch, counterpunch going on all night.鈥
The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals gained a point in the loss, keeping them first overall in the NHL with 103 points (47-15-9). They also have a game in hand on Winnipeg.
The Jets top the Western Conference with 102 points (49-19-4) and clinched a playoff spot for the third consecutive season and seventh time in the past eight.
Washington was on a line change when Ehlers got the puck after Dylan Samberg banked it off the wall and then fired wrist shot past goalie Logan Thompson for his 24th goal of the season.
"This was a big challenge for us, and I believe they felt the same way in the other room,鈥 Ehlers said. 鈥淎nd we played really well, I thought.
鈥淲hen we got the pucks deep and worked down there, we got some zone time and kept them out of our zone. So, that's something that we want to keep doing against the rest of the teams that we've got coming up here because that's going to help us in the playoffs."
Arniel said the Capitals actually had four players on the ice.
鈥淚f (Ehlers) missed the net and it went around, we were probably going to get a power play because they had four guys,鈥 Arniel said. 鈥淎hh, I guess he had a little bit in the tank left over. Burned down. And what a great shot.鈥
Washington star Alex Ovechkin had tied the game 2-2 with a one-timer that went through Connor Hellebuycksa国际传媒 pads with four minutes remaining in the third period.
Ovechkin now has 889 career goals, six away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record of 894.
Josh Morrissey and Mason Appleton also scored for the Jets, who swept the two-game season series against Washington after taking the first game 5-4 in overtime.
Hellebuyck made 27 saves in front of the teamsa国际传媒 third straight sellout and 11th of the season at Canada Life Centre.
The Jets were coming off a 5-3 loss to the lowly Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.
鈥淚've seen our response all year long when we get challenged like this against real good hockey teams and we've responded in the right way,鈥 Arniel said.
鈥淛ust like we always talk about 鈥 leave the last one behind us and move on to the next one. If we weren't ready tonight, we would have got run over. I thought we did a fantastic job."
Appleton broke the 1-1 tie with 12 seconds remaining in the second period with a wrist shot over Thompsonsa国际传媒 glove. His ninth goal of the season came 11 seconds after Winnipegsa国际传媒 first man advantage expired.
It was his first goal in 13 games and first point in nine.
He was more happy about pulling out a win after Ovechkin tied it up.
"Sometimes those can be real deflating, but I didn't feel that goal deflated our group at all,鈥 Appleton said. 鈥淲e had that 2-1 lead and sometimes you sit back and protect it a little too much and I didn't feel we did that at all.
鈥淚 thought we played a really good third so when they got that one, our mindset didn't really change. Then obviously for (Ehlers) to get that one in OT, it was huge to get the two points there."
Thompson stopped 22 shots and Andrew Mangiapane also scored for the Capitals, extending his goal streak to three games with three goals.
Before overtime got underway, the rink announcer told the 15,225 cheering fans that Winnipeg had clinched a playoff spot with the one point they would at least receive.
The news didn鈥檛 rattle the Jets heading into the extra session.
"You have to be appreciative of what we've done,鈥 Arniel said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2025.
