Connor lifts Jets in OT, sends Predators to 5th straight loss

WINNIPEG -- Kyle Connor scored at 3:31 of overtime to give the Winnipeg Jets a 2-1 win against the Nashville Predators at Canada Life Centre on Thursday.

"[Connor's] got one of the best releases in the League, so just keep shooting, man," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "He had some great looks tonight. Give their goalie a lot of credit 'cause he made a lot of very big and timely saves for them."
Connor's wrist shot from the slot was partially stopped by Nashville goalie Juuse Saros before trickling over the goal line.
"You just say, 'Stay with it. We're doing a lot of great things,'" Bowness said. "The players know they're getting all of these Grade-A's and getting good shots and getting good looks. Just stay with it. Don't get frustrated. Just keep doing what we're doing. It's working."
Dylan DeMelo scored for the Jets (19-9-1), who avoided losing a third straight. Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves.
"After our last few games, that was a pretty strong effort," DeMelo said. "We did a really good job, did a lot of good things that when you roll the video back, I don't think we'd be losing too much sleep over it if we didn't get the [overtime] point. Luckily, we've got [Connor] on our team and we finished the job."
Filip Forsberg scored for the Predators (12-12-4), who have lost five straight (0-3-2). Saros made 39 saves.
"Obviously, it's disappointing we didn't get the two points for [Saros] with the way he played tonight," Nashville forward Mikael Granlund said. "Like we saw tonight, he gave us the chance to win the hockey game [with] the saves he made."

Forsberg made it 1-0 Predators at 9:04 of the first period with a one-timer from the left face-off dot. Matt Duchene scooped up a turnover and drove down the middle before dishing the puck to Granlund for a touch pass to Forsberg.
"It was a great play by [Duchene] carrying the line, protecting the puck, over to [Granlund] and 'Granny' just kind of relayed it over," Forsberg said. "I tried to shoot it quick and it went in, so it was a good play by 'Dutchy' and Granny."

DeMelo tied it 1-1 at 12:54. Connor drove to the net from the right side and slid the puck into the crease for DeMelo for his first goal since Nov. 13, 2021 (87 games).
"I think we did a really a good job of establishing our forecheck and did a good job recovering pucks and holding on to them," DeMelo said. "We got our [defensemen] involved and got a lot of motion, and that opened up some lanes for us and some seams. Saros made some really big saves and kept them in it. Probably won them a point, but we stayed with it. … Just great for our group to stay with it and win a close game like that."
NOTES: Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt left the game with 2:55 left in the first after taking a hit from Tanner Jeannot. There was no update after the game. … Forsberg has 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in his past 21 games. … Predators forward Cody Glass played in his hometown for the first time since he was selected sixth in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights. He had three shots on goal in 14:23 of ice time. … The Jets are 11-2-0 against Central Division opponents and 8-2-0 following a loss. They lead the NHL with seven wins in games decided in overtime/shootout (7-1). … Connor has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) on a seven-game point streak. He had a career-high 11 shots on goal. … Winnipeg forward Blake Wheeler left the game in the second after a deflected slap shot hit him in the midsection, but he returned for the third.