Nineteen years in the making, it took all but a few minutes for the Jets to send the packed-in MTS Centre crowd into a frenzied roar of white T-shirts as Stanley Cup playoff hockey returned to Winnipeg on Monday.
It made for quite the scene in Manitoba, where fans bought up tickets five minutes after the box office opened last week. They stood and chanted during warmups and again when Lee Stempniak scored the game's first goal 9:38 into the first period. But it ended in all-too-familiar fashion for the Jets, who fell victim to another third-period comeback before Rickard Rakell scored in overtime to give the Ducks a 5-4 win and a 3-0 series lead.
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Pittsburgh and Minnesota also hosted their first games of these playoffs, fans packing the respective arenas to create raucous atmospheres in their own right. The only difference? The Wild won in convincing fashion.
Rangers 2, Penguins 1 (New York leads series 2-1)
Takeaway: Slow starts are killing the Penguins. They managed three shots in the first period and just 12 through the game's first 40 minutes. The Rangers have scored first in all three games and have held the Penguins to 13 total shots in the opening frame through three games. Pens stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin again were held in check. Crosby had an assist but only two shots. That's better than Malkin, who didn't register a shot on goal and was a minus-1.
Quotable: ''I think our style permits us to play well on the road at times with the way we control the puck," Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh said of systematically shutting down the Pens. "(We) make sure that we don't give teams good opportunities and good looks and keep the crowd out of it.''
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Highlight: Chris Kunitz's deflection is turned aside by Henrik Lundqvist in the game's final seconds to secure the win.
Next up: Wednesday at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN
Wild 3, Blues 0 (Minnesota leads series 2-1)
Takeaway: Sound defense and penalty-free hockey have helped the Wild turn some heads against the favored Blues, who haven't won a road playoff game since 2012. The difference in Game 3 was discipline. Minnesota wasn't called for a single penalty and allowed only 15 shots on goal. Goalie Devan Dubnyk stopped all 15 for his first playoff shutout. Meanwhile, Blues agitator Steve Ott was thrown out of the game in the final minute for roughing Jared Spurgeon.
Quotable: ''We're here to play hockey. We're not here to fight and do all that,'' Wild forward Charlie Coyle said, referring to Ott. ''That stuff after the whistle doesn't win you games, so we're just focused on playing our game and playing it smart.''
Highlight: We're not sure what Jake Allen was thinking here. Chalk it up to one pretty pass.
Just tap it in. Beauty pass, simple finish, and the @mnwild lead 2-0 after 2. #STLvsMIN #StanleyCup https://t.co/0UHiiY2tFr
— NHL (@NHL) April 21, 2015Next up: Wednesday at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m. ET, CNBC
Ducks 5, Jets 4, OT (Anaheim leads series 3-0)
Takeaway: Three games. Three third-period deficits. Three wins. That's the story for the Ducks, who've embraced their role as comeback kids these playoffs. Per Elias Sports, Anaheim is the first team in NHL history to win three straight playoff games when trailing at any point in the third period of all three games. That would make the Jets the first team in NHL history to blow third-period leads in three consecutive games.
Quotable: "They go right to the end of the game," Jets winger Bryan Little said. "It almost gets in your head how good they are at it."
Added Blake Wheeler: "We lead the whole damn series and we're 0-3. That's the way it goes. That's hockey."
Highlights: Rakell beats Jets goalie Ondrei Pavelec on a deflection 5:12 into overtime.
The comeback kids do it again. #ANAvsWPG #StanleyCup #NHLOT https://t.co/buddX6M8H6
— NHL (@NHL) April 21, 2015This is what 19 years without playoff hockey sounds like.
A #StanleyCup Playoff goal 19 years in the making. #ANAvsWPG #WPGWhiteout https://t.co/kHCB2zQOjM
— NHL (@NHL) April 21, 2015Next up: Wednesday at Winnipeg, 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN
Three stars
3. Patric Hornqvist, F, Penguins: On a team with Crosby and Malkin, Hornqvist was the Penguins' best player Monday. With the only goal, six shots and seven hits, he's the reason this game was close despite the loss.
2. Henrik Lundqvist, G, Rangers: Lundqvist was the kingpin in a shutdown defensive performance, stopping 23 of 24 shots, including 12 in a frenzied third period to preserve the win.
1. Ryan Kesler, F, Ducks: Kesler's goal with 2:14 to play forced overtime. He also made a pretty pass to set up the Ducks' third goal, had two hits and won 16 of 28 faceoffs.
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Injury report
Keith Yandle, D, Rangers: Yandle was absent from the Rangers' morning skate Monday, but was in the starting lineup nontheless, skating 15:49 with an assist and a plus-1 rating. He missed half of Game 2 to an injury that coach Alan Vigneault said was unrelated to sitting out practice. Defenseman Kevin Klein is close to a return but was held out of the lineup, missing his 19th straight game with a broken arm.
Justin Abdelkader, F, Red Wings: Coach Mike Babcock told reporters Abdelkader is cleared to make his series debut Tuesday against the Lightning. He'll re-enter the lineup after missing six games with a hand injury. Defenseman Brendan Smith also will join Abdelkader in his return to the lineup for Game 3.
Eric Fehr, F, Capitals: After suffering an upper-body injury in Game 2, Fehr will sit out Tuesday against the Islanders. Rookie Andre Burakovsky will start in Fehr's place, coach Barry Trotz announced. It will be Burakovsky's Stanley Cup playoffs debut.
Tuesday's games
(All times Eastern)
Lightning at Red Wings, 7 p.m., NBCSN
Capitals at Islanders, 7:30 p.m., USA
Predators at Blackhawks, 9:30 p.m., NBCSN
Canucks at Flames, 10 p.m., USA