Connor nets overtime winner to push Jets past Canadiens

WINNIPEG -Kyle Connor was getting the chances, they just weren't going for him.
It certainly looked like Thursday's tilt against the Montreal Canadiens (5-6-0) would go the same way. Last season's Lady Byng Trophy winner had five shots on goal through regulation, including a number of quality scoring chances.
But the Michigan product picked the perfect time to notch his second goal of the season - and first since an empty netter on opening night - as he took a drop pass from Mark Scheifele and snapped it off the right post and in to give the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 overtime win.
"I think I tried him high-glove like seven times today, so changed it up there," Connor said of Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault. "Sometimes it comes in bunches. So I'm just going to keep playing, keep trying to improve and get better every game. Hopefully can get on a little stretch here."

Throughout the eight games Connor went without a goal, which must have felt like an eternity for someone who scored 47 times last season, he never went a game without a shot on goal. In fact, he never had less than two, and had 29 total shots in those games.

Against the Canadiens, he had a couple of one-timers stopped by Montembeault, then had a prime scoring chance - with the Canadiens' netminder out of position - only to have it blocked.
Still, he pressed on.
"There are times you want the right guy to get the puck at the right time, in the right spot, and it was coming to him a lot tonight," said head coach Rick Bowness. "That's perseverance. Just stay with it."
Staying with it is exactly how Blake Wheeler, who scored his 299th career goal in the victory, felt the Jets (6-3-1) played.
"We did a good job of trying to have a mindset coming into the game and executing the game plan," said Wheeler. "There is adversity in games, if you're down a goal or what have you. You've got to stay in it."
And down a goal is exactly where the Jets found themselves 6:43 into the game.
After a Jets power play did everything but score, Montreal's Nick Suzuki took a pass from Cole Caufield in the neutral zone with speed, and was able to turn the corner on Dylan DeMelo. Cutting in front of Connor Hellebuyck, Suzuki chipped home his sixth of the season.
The Jets tied it on their second power play chance, as Pierre-Luc Dubois wired a wrister, his fourth goal of the season, from the left circle beating Montembeault on the glove side with 2:32 left in the opening period. Sam Gagner and Connor picked up assists.

Dubois finished with a goal and an assist, and now has 19 points in 21 career games against Montreal.
"I loved his game," Bowness said of Dubois. "He's a force out there when he's going like that. I love the way he takes the puck into the zone, and hangs onto it, and buys time. He's big and strong enough to protect the puck."
Kirby Dach put Montreal back in front nearly five minutes into the second, taking advantage of a fortuitous bounce in front of Hellebuyck for his second of the season.
That was the last puck to get by Hellebuyck though, as he finished the night with 20 saves on 22 shots - much less work than the 46 saves he made in Vegas in his last outing.
"I think the Vegas game was the best game I've ever seen him play, and that's obviously saying something," said Wheeler. "It's kind of our goal coming into the year, how do we alleviate some of the burden from him. We haven't quite done that but we're also trying to solidify our systems and get on the same page."
Wheeler made sure the home side got back on even terms just 41 seconds after Montreal made it 2-1. Wheeler to get to a loose puck in the crease, sliding it home on his backhand for his third of the campaign. There was a review for goaltender interference, but the original goal call was upheld.
"The puck was lying behind the goalie, I've got to be able to go get it, so I didn't feel like I was in his way of making the save," Wheeler said. "After watching it too, it looked like it was pushed in, the contact was because I was pushed in so I felt pretty good about it."

The Jets came up with a big penalty kill near the midway mark of the third, and when the game got to overtime, Connor and Scheifele worked their magic high in the zone, crossing over to create the opportunity for Connor.
"You want to create little two-on-ones all over the ice. A lot of times you do that by crossing and dropping," said Connor. "(Cole) Caufield tries to jump Scheif there and it creates a little space. It created space for me and I just can't pass up on that shot."
It's a good thing he didn't, and after going through a tough run of posts and missed opportunities, it felt really good to give his team a big win.
"We've got such a good group, and build each other up in situations where guys are dealing with that," said Connor. "It starts with our leaders, Blake I think was the first guy off the bench hugging me. He couldn't be more excited. That's just the type of character we have in this room."