CALGARY, Alberta -- Thomas Steen scored with one second left in the second period Thursday night to lift the Winnipeg Jets over the Calgary Flames and provide NHL officials a case for instant replay.
Steen slid the puck through the pads of goalie Mike Vernon as time ran down in the second period to give the Jets a 3-2 victory and a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup playoff series. The Flames argued the goal came after time had expired, but referee Denis Morel allowed the score.
'It would be hard to get me to vote against instant replays tonight,' Flames General Manager Cliff Fletcher said.
The disputed goal was the second such goal of this year's playoffs. The Quebec Nordiques had a goal disallowed Wednesday in a loss to Hartford in the Adams Division playoffs.
'I was unaware of the time and just did what I could do,' said Steen, who scored his second goal of the series. 'The referee was the right call.'
'The green light went on before the puck entered the net and the timekeeper reset the clock, causing the red light to come on,' Fletcher said as he reviewed a slow-motion replay of the goal.
The best-of-seven Smythe Division semifinal is scheduled to switch to Winnipeg Arena for Game 3 Saturday and Game 4 Sunday. Mike Bullard scored both goals for the Flames, who have lost to the Jets in eight of 10 games this season. Paul MacLean added two goals for Winnipeg.
The teams had battled through a scoreless opening period that featured the Jets dominating the opening half of the period and the Flames the final half. Both clubs changed goaltenders from the opening game, with Daniel Berthiaume in the net for the Jets and Vernon for Calgary.
Bullard gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 2:35 of the middle period when he one-timed Hakan Loob's pass at the side of the net for his second goal of the series.
MacLean tied the score at 7:08 when he wrapped the rebound of Dale Hawerchuk's shot past Vernon. The Flames had a two-man advantage for 43 seconds midway through the period but could not take the lead.
MacLean scored at 15:24, his second goal of the game, when he slid the puck through Vernon's legs from the edge the crease after taking a pass from Hawerchuk on a three-on-two break. Bullard tied the score 2-2 at 17:59 with a 30-foot wrist shot that beat Berthiaume to the glove side for his second power-play goal of the game.
The Flames fired 11 shots at Berthiaume in the third period but could not tie the score.
