Overall, the Winnipeg Jets played a solid, entertaining hockey game on Friday night.
And still, they lost.
J.J. Peterka scored on a breakaway in overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 4-3 victory over the Jets in a heartbreaking loss for both the Jets and the sellout crowd at Canada Life Centre.
The Jets new No. 1 goaltender Stuart Skinner played tremendously in. the Jets net, but Boston scored the game’s tying goal at 18:22 of the third period and then notched the winner at 3:21 of overtime as Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman stole one for the Bruins.
It was particularly gut-wrenching loss for Skinner who was cheered mightily all night long by the Jets faithful. The sounds of S-T-U-U-U-U-U were still ringing throughout the downtown barn long after the game ended.
In fact, Skinner made some saves in the third period that last year’s No. 1 goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, would never have made.
And yet, because the Jets still don’t get enough secondary scoring – the Jets got goals from Kyle Connor and defencemen Dylan DeMelo and Mario Ferraro – Winnipeg just couldn’t build a lead necessary to beat a solid Bruins team.
The Jets went to the attack right out of the gate, but Swayman was just too good. He robbed Connor, Scheifele and rookie Viggo Bjorck early and saved the day during Winnipeg’s first power play of the night.
But then, seemingly out of the blue, Dylan DeMelo ripped a slapshot from the point that Swayman didn’t see and suddenly it was 1-0 Winnipeg at 4:52. Morgan Barron and Adam Lowry drew the assists.
Then, eight minutes in the Bruins Mark Kastelic decided to take on Jets rookie D-man Tyrel Bauer who smacked Kastelic around and sent him to the dressing room for repairs. The sell-out crowd went crazy.
Tyrel Bauer about to land a hard right hand on Mark Kastelic (Photo by James Carey Lauder)
Meanwhile, at that point in the game, the Jets had outshot the Bruins 8-1.
The Jets had outshot Boston 9-3 when Hampus Lindholm beat Stuart Skinner low to the glove side at 9:23 on a shot from the point with no screen. It was a weak goal and the fans who had been screaming ST-U-U-U-U-U on his first three saves had to be wondering if their new starter was the Stuart Skinner who took the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals or the one who was shaky in Pittsburgh last year.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead at 15:20 when the Jets tired second line – playing out a shift that was far too long – allowed Boston’s James Hagens to pick up a loose puck in front of the net. Hagens tucked it past Skinner and reality was beginning to set in.
Winnipeg got off to a great start but hadn’t had a shot in seven minutes when the Bruins took the lead. Boston had taken over the game, and they didn’t appear as if they were going to give it back. Even though the Jets had a little burst at the end of the period and ultimately outshot Boston 12-9 in the first 20 minutes, Swayman made half a dozen game-saving stops and Skinner was less than average.
In the second period, the Jets tied the game on an early power play.
Adam Lowry, who had two assists, celebrates Dylan DeMelo's first of the season (Photo by James Carey Lauder)
At 1:10, Kyle Connor, pick up a tight pass near the crease from Gabriel Vilardi and stuffed the puck under Swayman. It was the first goal of the season for a guy who had 39 last year. Vilardi and Cole Perfetti picked up the assists.
It was the ninth straight year in which Kyle Connor scored a goal in the opening game of the season – an NHL record.
The Jets regained the lead at 19:48 of the second period when D-man Marrio Ferraro ripped a shot from just inside the Boston zone that went over Swayman and under the bar. Connor and Lowry drew the assists on Ferraro’s first goal as a member of the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets had taken the game back, outshooting Boston 12-8 and outscoring the visitors 2-0 as Skinner had a rock-solid period in the Jets net.
Boston scored the only goal of the third period, and it was a gut-punch for the Jets.
After playing a tremendous third period, Skinner was finally beaten at 18:22 of the third period. Skinner made some brilliant saves, including stopping J.J. Peterka on a breakaway, but in the dying minutes, Boston tied it when Elias Lindholm tipped home a pass from David Pastrnak to tie the game at three. It was a heartbreaker for Skinner who had done everything he possibly could to give the Jets a regulation win.
With only 1:39 left in overtime, Peterka went in alone and beat Skinner on the short side to end it.
The Jets outshot Boston 33-30. The Jets were one-for-three on the power play while the Bruins were zero-for-one. Boston outhit Winnipeg 26-17.
On the upside for the Jets, rookie Viggo Bjorck, playing centre on the second line, had a solid game and did not look at all out of place for an 18-year-old playing in the best hockey league in the world.
The Jets start the 2026-27 season with one point. It should have been two. But unless they start getting some secondary scoring from their forwards, this could be a long, long year.
The Jets play again on Sunday at Noon in Detroit. The game can be seen on TSN3.
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