Connor scores winner in victory over Avs

WINNIPEG – Kyle Connor knows how to come through in big moments, and he delivered another one Wednesday night.

Connor scored his second goal of the night with just 1:00 left in the third period, lifting the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

But the Jets wouldn’t have been in position to win it without Stuart Skinner, who was outstanding through the first 30 minutes and finished the night with 32 saves. It was also Skinner’s first win on home ice as a Jet.

“Coming into the game, I thought we knew what their game plan was. Obviously, they have a ton of speed. They're obviously very good on the rush. They’re good everywhere. They're a very talented team," said Skinner. 

"So, especially when they get on the power play, it was very crucial that we were able to get out of that one. And just the fashion that we were able to stay out of the box too, like all night was huge."

Cole Perfetti had the other Jets goal, while Mark Scheifele and Dylan Samberg each picked up a pair of assists as Winnipeg improved to 3-0-1.

The vaunted Avalanche power play went to work nine and a half minutes into the first after Samberg was called for hooking. Stuart Skinner stood tall, robbing Nazem Kadri in tight before stopping Martin Necas on a one-timer — two of his 17 saves in the opening period.

The Jets had their best chance with under a minute left when Mark Scheifele fired from the high slot, but Mackenzie Blackwood got just enough of it to keep the game scoreless after 20 minutes.

Skinner robbed Necas again just over a minute into the second, lunging to his right to get the glove on a shot from the Avs forward.

Colorado finally opened the scoring at 2:51. Fedor Svechkov’s pass went off one Jet and then Gabriel Vilardi’s stick, landing right on the stick of Schwartz, who ripped a shot high over Skinner’s blocker.

The Jets answered quickly. Just 1:08 later, Kyle Connor got a piece of Neal Pionk’s point shot and redirected it underneath Blackwood for his fourth of the season and his first at even strength. It was also Connor’s 14^th career goal against the Avalanche.

With under two minutes left in the second, the Jets finally grabbed their first lead of the night. Samberg’s shot found its way through traffic, and off Perfetti’s shin pads past Blackwood for a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Scheifele picked up the second assist, giving him his first point of the season and now has at least one point in his last five meetings against Colorado.

But the bigger concern for the Jets was Josh Morrissey. The Jets’ top defenceman appeared to hurt himself while trying to finish a hit on an Avalanche player late in the first period. He returned to start the second but took just one shift before heading down the tunnel. He did not return, Scott Arniel said that it's an upper body injury and they will find out more on Thursday.

Colorado found a way to beat Skinner again in the third period, as the Jets had a tough time clearing the puck leading to Schwartz hitting Svechkov out front and the Russian forward shoveled in the tying goal at 12:35.

But the Jets top line had the final answer with 1:00 left on the clock, Scheifele held onto the carried the puck into the offensive zone and waited until the last second to fire a seeing-eye pass to Connor and he fired the puck through Sam Malinski’s legs and into the open net for a 3-2 lead.

“I’d like to say I was surprised, but he does it so often. That’s a top tier play. I don’t know that a lot of guys can do that in the league. He’s done it so often. I just know that in the back of my mind, I’ve just always got to be ready," said Connor. 

"He almost has a sixth sense of knowing where I’m at, at all times and trusting him and being in a shooter position and being ready. He threaded the needle and all I needed to do was put it in."

Connor became the fourth player in Jets history to score multiple go-ahead goals in the final minute of regulation (also 59:06 on Nov. 17, 2022). The others: Morris Lukowich (3x), Keith Tkachuk (2x) and Mark Osborne (2X).

Connor and Mark Scheifele combined on a game winner for the 62nd time – the most in Jets history and the 15th most by a duo in NHL history. The all-time list is topped by Daniel and Henrik Sedin who had points on 149 game-winning goals together.

As great as the top line was, Arniel wanted to make sure that it was a group effort shutting down the likes of MacKinnon, Makar and Necas.

"I like the fact that we went after them. We created opportunities and we got inside," said Arniel.

"When you play those type of games, your best guys are going to have to run up against their best guys and hopefully you can come out on top.”

The Jets return to action Friday when the welcome the Anaheim Ducks.