NHL teams
Joe McDonald, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

No-quit Winnipeg Jets showed they are fun to watch in loss to Washington Capitals

NHL

What happened last night that you need to know about? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best performances. This is where we say, "Morning, Joe."

Jets have guts: While all eyes were on the Winnipeg Jets' Patrik Laine playing his first game against his childhood idol Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals -- if they weren't on the hyped showdown between Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews in Toronto, that is -- the bigger picture here is the Jets. Despite a 3-2 loss to the Capitals at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, the Jets provided a gutsy performance, which is becoming the norm. They dropped to 4-6-0 but again proved there's no quit in them. Trailing 2-0 late in the third period, the Jets' Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry each scored to tie the game. Scheifele's goal was a perfect example of this team not throwing in the towel. Captain Blake Wheeler had the puck along the boards in the offensive zone with a defender bearing down. Wheeler protected the puck, kept his legs moving and passed the puck to Scheifele, who beat Capitals goalie Braden Holtby. Lowry's goal in the waning minutes was also a highlight-reel goal, but the Capitals' Jay Beagle scored with 30 seconds remaining in regulation to stun the Jets. Winnipeg is a fun team to watch, and you can expect this type of effort for the remainder of the season with its great mix of veterans and youth. These teams play again on Thursday in D.C.

Rangers on a roll: If you're looking for a team that showcases depth throughout the lineup, look no further than the New York Rangers. They are 7-3-0 and lead the NHL with 40 goals after Tuesday's 5-0 win over the St. Louis Blues at Madison Square Garden. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault is rolling four lines and getting contributions from nearly everyone. But it starts with goaltending. Veteran Henrik Lundqvist again proved he is extra motivated in a 35-save performance against the Blues, his 60th career shutout and his best game of the season. Offensively, the Rangers got goals from five players. Forward Chris Kreider, who missed four consecutive games with neck spasms, had two assists. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock called his team's loss a "real eye-opener" because the Rangers are proving to be a complete team with the ability to expose opponents' weaknesses. Oh, by the way, Rangers rookie Jimmy Vesey had a three-point night, including his sixth goal of the season. He now has nine points in 10 games and is a plus-5.

Rask up to the task: During their recent three-game losing skid, the Boston Bruins were without No. 1 goaltender Tuukka Rask, who was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. In his second game back, the veteran made 33 saves en route to a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. He nearly posted his second consecutive shutout, but the Panthers scored with 4:35 remaining. During his brief absence, the Bruins showed just how vulnerable they are without their best goalie. Rask has not allowed more than one goal in four of his five starts this season. Backup Anton Khudobin remains sidelined with an upper-body injury, so Boston needed to dip into its development system in the AHL, but Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre struggled in those three games. It was another sign of Rask's importance to this team.

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