Scheifele scores with 1.6 seconds left as Jets complete comeback vs. Lightning, 4-3

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Jets avoided a second consecutive blown lead when Mark Scheifele scored on a power play with 1.6 seconds left to complete a 4-3 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Canada Life Centre on Sunday. The victory capped a late turnaround for Winnipeg after the Lightning rallied from three goals down in the third period to force the finishing minutes of the game into a close, decisive sequence.

Scheifele beat the buzzer during a 5-on-3 man advantage, firing a one-timer from the left hash marks. Cole Perfetti set up the goal by stealing the puck from Ryan McDonagh in the corner and then sending a cross-ice pass to Scheifele for the game-winner.

Tampa’s late push featured a pair of quick goals by Pontus Holmberg that swung the game at the start of the third period’s stretch run. Holmberg first cut the deficit to 3-2 at 14:01 by finishing a rebound into an open net near the left post, then tied the game at 3-3 at 14:27 when he came from behind the net to knock in another rebound at the left post with a backhand.

The Lightning’s other scoring included a third-period surge that left the game level before Winnipeg’s final response. Perfetti, Brayden Yager, and Morgan Barron also scored for the Jets, while Viggo Bjorck recorded two assists. Stuart Skinner made 17 saves for Winnipeg as the Jets improved to 7-8-3.

Before the dramatic finish, Winnipeg built a three-goal lead in the second and early third periods, starting with Cole Perfetti’s power-play opener. Perfetti scored at 1:53 of the second period on a one-timer from the slot off a short pass from Scheifele, giving the Jets a 1-0 advantage.

Barron extended Winnipeg’s lead to 2-0 at 12:38. The goal came shortly after the Jets killed a penalty, when Neal Pionk skated around the net and fed a cross-ice pass to Barron, who converted with a one-timer from the right circle.

Yager pushed the Jets’ advantage to 3-0 at 8:10 of the third period, marking his first NHL goal. Alex Iafallo’s pass to the crease was one-touched by Bjorck toward the back post, where Yager banged in the puck for another power-play tally.

Tampa Bay narrowed the gap at 10:22 in the third when Brandon Hagel scored. The goal followed a turnover created by Anthony Cirelli, who stole the puck from Yager below the goal line; Hagel then skated out in front and finished with a deke to his forehand.

Hagel’s score was part of a third-period comeback that also included Holmberg’s tying goals, forcing Winnipeg to hold on through the final seconds. Scheifele’s final strike on the 5-on-3 power play came immediately after the Lightning had completed their rally.

For Tampa Bay, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 21 shots. The Lightning dropped to 11-4-2, having previously won three straight and suffering their first regulation loss in seven games after a 4-1-2 stretch. Erik Cernak added two assists.

Tampa Bay entered the game on the second night of a back-to-back schedule after rallying for a 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, including two goals in the final 6:16 of the third period to tie the game before overtime.

Winnipeg’s next game will be against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, according to the game recap. The matchup comes after the Jets won three straight following a prior run in which they lost nine of their previous twelve games (0-7-2) entering the weekend.

Lightning and Jets both maintained key roles late in the contest, with Tampa’s surge closing a wide gap and Winnipeg’s Scheifele delivering the final, buzzer-ending power-play goal to secure the 4-3 result at Canada Life Centre. The NHL schedule and team records in the recap reflect Winnipeg’s improvement and Tampa’s snapped regulation win streak.