By Mason Lyttle
BLAINE, MN — The Janesville Jets’ three-game winning streak came to an end Friday evening against the South Division’s Odessa Jackalopes, whose 5-on-3 goal midway through the third period was too much for Janesville to overcome.
The Jets drop to 3-1-0-0 overall, and 2-1-0-0 at the 2017 NAHL Showcase Tournament, with one more match in Blaine.
Special teams were on display as the clubs traded power play opportunities all throughout the game. After killing two Odessa advantages, the Jets struck on their second when Brenden MacLaren (12:46 1st) continued his red-hot streak, picking up a pass in the slot and roofing his fourth goal of the season and third in two days.
More penalties filled the second period, and Odessa tied the contest at 1-1 seconds after a Jets penalty expired. Zach Heintz (4:17 2nd) collected a puck, walked in front, and lifted a backhand over a sprawling Daniel Lebedeff for the equalizer. By the end of the second, Janesville had killed six minor penalties, and carried 1:37 of their fourth power play opportunity into the third.
The rut to the penalty box wore deeper and deeper. With Sean Driscoll already in the box, Kip Hoffmann was whistled for a slashing minor, giving Odessa 1:19 of a 5-on-3 advantage. After six successful kills, the Jets’ shorthanded unit finally broke down. Twenty-five seconds into the 5-on-3, Odessa’s Lucas Andersson (8:00 3rd) tipped a point shot past Lebedeff for the eventual game-winning goal.
The Jets close their Showcase schedule with a 4:00pm CDT match against the Central Division’s Minot Minotauros tomorrow. Stay tuned to Twitter for live updates, or watch the action as Mike Hammett will again bring you the call on HockeyTV.com.