Connor scores twice as Jets beat Senators

WINNIPEG - Josh Morrissey said it "wasn't a Picasso" but the 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators was exactly what the Winnipeg Jets needed.
The busy schedule, the injuries, and all the travel have certainly added up this month. At the same time, the Jets don't want to use it as an excuse.
So they scored less than two minutes in against Ottawa, built up a lead, and David Rittich turned away 35 of 36 to get the Jets to a 21-10-1 record.
"We found a way to win," said Josh Morrissey, who was one of five Jets with a multi-point night. "It's not always going to be pretty, it's not always going to be your perfect game, your legs may not feel great in this league and you run into tough schedules.
"I thought for us to get the two points is big."

Along with Morrissey's goal and assist, Kyle Connor scored twice, with the two other goals coming from Kevin Stenlund and Sam Gagner.
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Dylan DeMelo rounded out the list of multi-point performers.
Head coach Rick Bowness felt not all 5-1 wins are equal, however.
"That 5-1 is a whole lot different than the 5-1 in Vancouver where we played an outstanding 60 minutes," Bowness said. "Again, with everything that has been going on with the team - the injuries, the travel - we needed the win. We got it."

The Jets got the start they were looking for, as Stenlund put the home side up 1-0 just under two minutes in. His one-timer off a David Gustafsson pass from below the goal line was stopped by Cam Talbot, but Stenlund batted his own rebound out of the air and in for his first as a member of the Jets.
It was also his first NHL goal since March 18, 2021.
"It's nice. I want to contribute and help the team win," said Stenlund. "It's been fun to just be out there and play. I want to help the team the way I can. Obviously, just fun to be here."
Morrissey made it 2-0 exactly five minutes later, as he walked around Drake Batherson at the Ottawa blue line, moved into the left circle, then snapped one by Talbot with Gagner working as a screen. The goal extended Morrissey's point streak to 10 games, and Connor's assist also gave him points in 10 straight as well.

The only other time two members of the Jets have had double-digit point streaks was Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler in 2015-16, with 10 and 11 game streaks respectively.
"He's one step ahead of what's going to happen next," Bowness said of Morrissey. "That's why he's able to read the play, break up plays, get there first, his gaps, all those things, it's his ability to stay one step ahead. Any elite player in any sport has that high IQ for that sport, and he certainly has it."
Batherson would make up for that play though, as he scored on a Senators power play with 11:32 to go in the first, rifling a Thomas Chabot pass off Rittich's shoulder and in to pull Ottawa back within one.

That's the only puck that beat Rittich, who found out during Monday's off day that Connor Hellebuyck was sick and wouldn't be available. Rittich stepped up and made 15 saves in a busy first.
"We all wish Bucky could be here with us. He's probably one of the biggest parts of this team and he's having a really good season," said Rittich. "So, it's obviously it's not a great thing we not having him here, but it feels good to have two starts in a row and finally get a win."
With time winding down in an exciting first, and a delayed penalty coming to Ottawa, Gagner's floating wrist shot from the half wall got past the glove of Talbot to restore the two-goal cushion at 3-1.
"We didn't like our first at all," said Bowness. "We made the most of our opportunities, we got some big saves when we needed them. At times we played very smart, and at times we played very loose."

Bowness felt the Jets played better in the second, and the momentum rolled right along with them. Just 1:02 in, Morrissey sent a brilliant slap pass from the left point to the bottom of the right circle, where Connor was waiting all by his lonesome. He made no mistake on his 14th of the season, pushing the Jets lead to 4-1.
"When it's there, I'll try to use it," said Morrissey of the slap pass. "Two instances happen to be back to back games where they presented themselves, but any time you can use deception and not kind of telegraph a pass, I think you have a better chance of fooling somebody."
The assist was Morrissey's 38th point of the season, which established a new career-high.

Connor added his second of the game with 5:37 left in the period, pounding a nifty backhand feed from Dubois into the back of the net for his 15th of the season and a 5-1 Jets lead.
That's all the offence the Jets would need on this night, and the third period went by without anything else going up on the scoreboard - besides the wave, which took over Canada Life Centre with 10 minutes left in regulation.
Now the Jets need to regroup for one more set of back-to-backs before a much needed three days away, with games in Boston and Washington.
"We got away with things tonight that we will not get away with on Thursday or Friday," said Bowness. "I said this in training camp, we have a lot of work to do. Tonight shows me we still do."