Jets Win Home Opener

Dustin Byfuglien was the difference maker in the Jets’ 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday.

But Winnipeg center Bryan Little was credited with his third goal of the year when a pass from Wheeler bounced in off his skate midway through the second period to even the game at 1.

Calgary Flames’ Michael Ferland, right, attempts the deflection past Winnipeg Jets’ goaltender Ondrej Pavelec (31) as Adam Pardy (2) and Tyler Myers (57) look on during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Friday October 16, 2015 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Hutchinson looked good in his two starts and earned a win in both games with a. 968 save percentage on two goals against.

“I knew I was onside because I had the puck, but I really didn’t know what was going on”, said Byfuglien. Troy Brouwer has notched four assists, but losing Stastny – who recorded an assist for the fourth consecutive game before taking a shot off his leg that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the road trip – leaves a big hole in the middle of the Blues’ first line. “(He) drove the net, uses his side, uses his speed and a bad-angle shot that went in”. The preseason obviously doesn’t mean as much as the two regular season wins but there was a lot of different things the Jets showed us during those seven games.

The response of the full house at MTS Centre goal, the goals that made the score 2-1 Jets almost tore the roof off Winnipeg’s downtown arena as the Jets not only won a hard-fought battle, but came back from a 1-0 deficit after the first period to improve to 4-1-0 on the season.

The performance of defenseman Dustin Byfuglien and the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night was certainly more memorable than the last time they played a meaningful game in their home barn.

NOTES: The Flames didn’t have a shot on goal for more than 20 minutes, ending the slump with 8:54 left in the third…. The Jets had chances to take the lead but the Flames managed to kill it off.Byfuglien gave the Jets the lead late in the third.

Pavelec said he had no choice but to stay sharp.

“You could see the effects of playing three in four nights in the last five minutes”, coach Ken Hitchcock said, “but we held it together”. Rookie forward Sam Bennett, the fourth overall pick of last year’s draft, is pointless in his first three games. Calgary returns home for three games, starting Saturday against Edmonton.