Top line leads Jets past Wild

WINNIPEG – Cole Perfetti looks like he’s starting to figure out the cheat code to playing with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor: think faster, move faster, and keep up with two of the Winnipeg Jets’ most dangerous offensive players. The trio has been creating chances, and on Tuesday, Perfetti turned that growing chemistry into results, scoring his fourth and fifth goals of the season in a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.

“We've talked about it before, I think just breeding off them, trying to get to the open spots because they can make crazy things happen from nothing," said Perfetti.

"Always being ready, always trying to find the soft ice and then when you have it, just being ready to always make the play."

The top line combined for seven points in the Jets second straight win over a divisional opponent, Scheifele had three points (1G, 2A), Connor (1G, 1A) and Perfetti (2G) for Winnipeg who is now 4-1-1 to start the season.

Neal Pionk chipped in with a pair of assists, while Stuart Skinner didn’t have a ton of work to do but was solid when called upon, stopping 19 shots. Skinner (3-0-1 in 4 GP) became the third goaltender to post a point streak of four-plus games in his first season with the Jets franchise since relocating to Winnipeg. He joined Laurent Brossoit (7 GP & 4 GP in 2018-19) and Connor Hellebuyck (4 GP in 2015-16).

The Jets wasted little time getting on the board. Just 1:49 into the game, Cole Perfetti got his stick on a Neal Pionk shot and redirected it past Calvin Pickard for an early 1-0 lead. Perfetti is off to the best start of his career, with four goals in the first six games. Mark Scheifele picked up the second assist, giving him 300 career helpers on home ice.

Scheifele is the third player in franchise history to reach that milestone joining Blake Wheeler (327) and Thomas Steen (308).

The Wild got that one back at 11:13 after the Jets coughed up the puck in their own zone. Kirill Kaprizov found himself all alone on Skinner, who made the initial save, but Kaprizov was right there to bury the rebound and tie things up.

Pionk picked up his second assist of the period with a nice bit of patience behind the Wild net. He waited for Scheifele to sneak in at the far post before feeding him for an easy tap-in and a 2-1 Jets lead.

“He’s been great. When you lose a guy like J-Mo (Josh Morrissey), you can never fill the shoes of one of the best defencemen in the league, but he’s done an awesome job," said Scheifele when asked about Pionk.

"He’s been great. The pass to me was incredible." 

That lead didn’t last long. Less than a minute later, Kaprizov tipped a Quinn Hughes shot past Skinner to even things up at 2-2. It was Kaprizov’s league-leading eighth goal of the season, and that’s where things stood after 20 minutes.

The Jets made Minnesota pay on the power play after Bobby Brink took Viggo Björck out in front of the Wild net. Just 31 seconds into the man advantage, Cole Perfetti one-timed a Gabe Vilardi pass past Calvin Pickard to put Winnipeg back in front 3-2 at 16:36. It was Perfetti’s second goal of the night, and he’s making a pretty good case for keeping that hot start going.

The top line struck again in the third, as Connor used his speed and quick hands to leave Tyler Pitlick a step behind before cutting into the slot and snapping his seventh of the season past Pickard’s glove. It was a slick move from Connor, who gave Pitlick little chance to recover before making it 4-2 for the Jets.

Winnipeg really locked down on the Wild who played last night at home, and extended their lead to three at 14:42, Koepke wired a quick shot past Pickard for his first of the year and a 5-2 Jets lead.

"I thought we did a fantastic job in the second. And then we got them flying in, playing last night, flying in," said head coach Scott Arniel.

"Then we got them on their heels. We got them caught for a couple long shifts, extended shifts in their end of the rink in that second period, which really kind of wore, especially their defence more than anybody." 

The Jets will skate in Winnipeg Wednesday morning before departing for Chicago, they will face the Blackhawks Thursday night at the United Center.