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Sports

Pavelec stops 39, Little scores, Jets stop Bruins

Associated Press
Published | Updated

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Ondrej Pavelec made save after save, fending off the Boston Bruins.

When it was all over, he had stopped 39 shots, and Bryan Little scored to help the Winnipeg Jets beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 Tuesday night, ending Boston's 15-game 15 game stretch in which it earned 29 of a possible 30 points.

"We know if we're going to stick with the plan, if we're going to play the way we want, that we can beat everybody," Pavelec said.

The Jets (12-11-4) moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season, and have won six of their last seven home games.

Little scored 94 seconds after Shawn Thornton tied the game for Boston. He controlled the puck off a neutral-zone faceoff, went the length of the ice and beat Tuukka Rask to the glove side.

"It was the loudest I've ever heard the arena," Little said. "It was unbelievable."

The goal came just six seconds after David Krejci drove Jets defenseman Mark Stuart into the end boards from behind. Krejci and Zach Bogosian were in the penalty box for offsetting roughing minors after the hit, which left Stuart face down and motionless on the ice. He later returned to the game.

Jets coach Claude Noel chose not to comment on the hit, saying he would let the league decide whether it was dirty. The rest of his postgame comments consisted of nothing but praise for his players.

"We're getting a lot of good games from a lot of people," Noel said. "It was goaltending, defense and forwards. Just smart, responsible play."

Pavelec withstood a flurry of shots in the final minutes of the game to preserve the lead. Rask made 33 saves for the Bruins.

The Bruins tied the game three minutes into the third, when Jets forward Jason Jaffray turned the puck over in his own zone and Thornton tipped in a shot from a bad angle by Daniel Paille.

"It was one of those nights when they weren't going in," Thornton said. "We generated enough chances to probably win this game. The last month or so they've been going in. Tonight they didn't."

Boston was coming off a Monday night win in Pittsburgh, but Thornton refused to use the back-to-back games as an excuse.

"That's all mental as far as I'm concerned," he said. "I think it's pretty easy to get through as long as you're strong mentally."

Jets captain Andrew Ladd opened the scoring late in the first period with a perfect snap shot to the top corner from outside the left faceoff dot past Rask's blocker.

The Bruins had the better chances in a scoreless second period, but Pavelec made several acrobatic saves. The best of his 17 saves in the period came off Krejci as he slid across his crease to prevent the tying goal.

Each team failed on two power plays in the second period.

Notes: Boston F Tyler Seguin was scratched from the lineup after missing a team meeting Tuesday morning. ... Pavelec's assist on Ladd's goal was his second in 143 career NHL games... Bruins D Johnny Boychuk left the ice in pain after blocking Bogosian's shot in the second period, but returned shortly after... The Bruins beat the Jets 4-2 in Boston on Nov. 26.