Connor’s 2 goals help Jets end Penguins point streak at 8

WINNIPEG -- Kyle Connor scored two goals, including one on a penalty shot, and the Winnipeg Jets ended the Pittsburgh Penguins’ eight-game point streak with a 5-2 win at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

“We were on our toes today, playing right. We were dialed in,” Connor said. “We were just rolling them over early, keeping it simple, not turning the puck over in the neutral zone. That gets us rolling, gets all the lines into it right away.”

Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist, Mark Scheifele had two assists, and Brad Lambert scored his first NHL goal for the Jets (9-3-0), who have won three straight. Eric Comrie made 28 saves.

“I thought we played extremely fast,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “We got out of our zone fast. We got zone transition, we moved it quick, we didn't hold on to pucks. We didn't dust it off, we didn't take it back. That looks more like us from last year. It's been coming back into our game and it's been a lot better in the last three or four (games). We're hard to defend when we come after people with speed like that."

Sidney Crosby and Blake Lizotte scored for the Penguins (8-3-2), who were 6-0-2 during their point streak. Arturs Silovs made 29 saves.

Pittsburgh fell behind 2-0 at 2:43 of the first period.

“You get down, you start chasing the game a little bit,” said Crosby, the Pittsburgh captain. “I think it's tough to fight that, but you've got to find a way to stay patient. You've got to understand there's a lot of hockey left. So, unfortunately, they got to build on that lead.”

Vilardi gave Winnipeg a 1-0 lead 15 seconds into the first, banking a shot off Silovs at the right post.

“I always say [in] these afternoon games, it's whoever wakes up first usually gets the advantage,” Arniel said. “Our top line, we know what they've been doing for us. That was great. Starting with the face-off, then getting in on the forecheck and the pressure, and yeah, those types of things. That obviously got the building excited right away, and everybody's up on their toes now. And then for us to score shortly thereafter, make it 2-0 -- that puts a team, a visiting team, on their heels, and that's what you want to do.”

Lambert, playing his ninth NHL game, extended the lead by tapping in a loose puck at the left post after Parker Ford’s wraparound attempt.

“I've been dreaming of that moment,” Lambert said. “When you're playing road hockey as a kid or whatever, you're kind of envisioning those moments, so it's pretty special. … It’s awesome. You couldn't write it up any better [and] I wouldn't have it any other way. [Ford] made a great play on that goal.”

Vladislav Namestnikov pushed it to 3-0 at 1:17 of the second period by scoring for the third straight game (three goals). He redirected Jonathan Toews’ centering pass on the rush.

“It's definitely too many odd-man rushes,” Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse said. “That really hurt us. Then it became different reasons. … I think also a lot of situations where they're coming in, the numbers might be even, but they have a lot of space. And when you give a team like that too much space, you're not going to like the chances. A big part of it [was] there tonight.”

Connor then made it 4-0 at 12:13 after being awarded the penalty shot. With the Jets short-handed and Connor forechecking, Silovs lost the puck in the right corner and was penalized for throwing his stick at the puck with Connor attempting to put it into the empty net.

“It's kind of like a misplay,” Silovs said. “He came so fast. I thought he was going to be a little bit slower, so I [didn’t] have time to look up [to see] where he is.”

Connor said, “This year we’ve really made a focus (on the penalty kill) just playing quicker, faster. If you have a chance you have the green light to go and pressure. For me, just using my quickness and anticipation to kind of read that next play. You’re able to force plays. Obviously the main goal is to stop them from scoring goals, but you do get chances. You see it with our PK. We’ve got a lot of quick players with good sticks and you’re able to break them up and get those 2-on-1s and a couple breakaways. I just think our system plays the way we try to play.”

Crosby cut it to 4-1 on the power play at 19:48 when Erik Karlsson’s point shot went in off his leg at the right side of the net.

“That's a good team we played,” Crosby said. “I feel like it wasn't our best, so we've got to respond and bounce back and make sure that we finish off the trip good.”

Lizotte made it 4-2 at 10:27 of the third period, scoring on a drive to the net when the puck went in off Comrie’s stick.

“I thought in the third period there wasn't a moment where I felt like we stopped playing,” Muse said. “I think the guys kept going. I think that there was -- even on the bench -- a feel there that we were going to get that next one.”

Connor scored into an empty net at 18:39 for his second of the game and the 5-2 final.

NOTES: Scheifele (nine goals, 11 assists) became the first player to reach 20 points in the NHL this season. He also tied Ilya Kovalchuk (12 games in 2009-10) as the fastest players in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history to get to 20 points in a season and has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in a five-game point streak. … Vilardi has four goals in a three-game goal streak and nine points (five goals, four assists) in a five-game point streak. … Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (assist) has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in a five-game point streak. … The Jets are 6-0-0 when leading after two periods this season. Winnipeg was 41-0-1 in that scenario in 2024-25, when it won the Presidents’ Trophy with the best record in the NHL (56-22-4).