WINNIPEG _ Recent stops in Winnipeg have yielded mixed results for the Wild.
While this was the site of its last playoff demise in 2018, the team also went undefeated here last season to help propel it to a five-game sweep of its Central Division rivals.
And that see-saw of momentum continued to swing Thursday, as the Wild was grounded 5-2 by the Jets at Bell MTS Place to cap its season-opening stretch of three consecutive road games 0-3.
The team's next chance to bank Win No.1 is Saturday during its home opener at Xcel Energy Center against Pittsburgh.
Two goals in 28 seconds by the Jets in the third period nixed a Wild comeback, with winger Kyle Connor depositing a Patrik Laine pass behind goalie Devan Dubnyk at 8 minutes, 47 seconds before center Jack Roslovic buried the insurance marker at 9:15. Both goals came when action was at 4-on-4.
Laine added an empty-netter with 2:19 remaining.
Earlier in the period, Wild defenseman Brad Hunt tied it at 2 at 3:09 on a rising shot.
Although the Jets were in control in the end, the Wild had the edge early _ confirming the outcome as another missed opportunity because the visitors looked like the better team for multiple stretches of the game.
That was especially the case in the first period, arguably the Wild's best of this young season.
After a four-day layoff in which the team combined rest and practice, the Wild looked the opposite of rusty. It skated motivated and ready to snap out of its losing funk.
The team's forecheck was aggressive, players were first to loose pucks and the Wild made Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck work.
Every line was noticeable, in a positive way, which wasn't how the team presented in previous setbacks to Nashville and Colorado.
Less than five minutes after puck drop, the Wild was tested on the penalty kill but the unit continued to thrive. Dubnyk set the tone, ratting off five saves _ including a few on Laine. Winnipeg ended up going 0-for-2 on the power play, improving the Wild's PK to 9-for-10. The Wild also blanked on two tries with the man advantage.
Eventually, the Wild's tenacious effort was rewarded.
With 6:52 left in the frame, winger Ryan Hartman capped off a workman-like push by the fourth line by forcing the puck off Jets rookie defender Ville Heinola in front of the net and sliding the puck five-hole on Hellebuyck. The goal was Hartman's first with the Wild since signing as a free agent in the summer.
Despite starting the second on a leftover power play, the Wild wasn't as crisp � opening the door for the Jets.
Only 1:37 into the period, Plymouth native and Jets captain Blake Wheeler one-timed a Mark Scheifele pass by Dubnyk to even it at 1. The point was the 700th of Wheeler's career. Overall, 31 of his 701 points have come against the Wild.
Later, the Jets moved ahead when Laine finished off a 2-on-2 rush into the Wild's zone with a blistering one-timer over Dubnyk at 9:10. Dubnyk totaled 21 saves; Hellebuyck had 38.
Still, the Wild had plenty of pressure � sitting at 31 shots after two.
But a lack of execution continues to stymie the group. The Wild has scored only two goals in each of its games.
This is the first time in franchise history the Wild has lost its first three games in regulation. The last time the team was winless through three was when it went 0-1-2 in 2013-14.
