MORRISSEY, VILARDI OUTSTANDING AS JETS WIN 2ND IN THREE DAYS
It isn’t a winning streak yet, but it’s getting close.
Despite being behind for much of the game and despite being outshot 27-22, the Jets got a rare third-period goal from Tanner Pearson and then hung on to beat the New Jersey Devils 4-3.
With 14,165 in attendance at Canada Life Centre, the struggling Jets won their second straight game and improved to 17-22-5 on the season. They have a million miles to go in order to get back into any playoff conversations, but they appear to have put that horrible 11-game (0-7-4) losing streak behind them.
On Sunday afternoon, the Jets also got some secondary scoring. While Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor were held off the board, Alex Iafallo, Jonathan Toews, Gabriel Vilardi (now playing alongside Cole Perfetti and Adam Lowry) and Tanner Pearson scored for the Jets. Connor Hellebuyck got the win and improved to 10-12-4 on the season.
The first period started out like a Sunday afternoon free skate at the St. Malo Arena. Finally, at 18:50, the Jets scored an accidental goal as a bouncing puck deflected off New Jersey defenceman Simon Nemec and past a startled Jake Allen. Alex Iafallo got credit for his eighth of the season as Nino Niederreiter and Dylan Samberg got the assists.
However, 37 seconds later Devils’ captain Nico Hischier was left alone in the Jets’ crease and he banged a rebound past Connor Hellebuyck to tie in at one.
Both teams scored a late goal, and both teams had eight shots as they went off to the first intermission.
The second period was the most productive 20-minute span Winnipeg’s own Cody Glass has ever had.
Glass gave the Devils a 2-1 lead at 1:05 of the period and then, after Jonathan Toews scored his fifth of the season (unassisted) at 2:36. Glass scored again at 8:08. They were his eighth and ninth goals of the season as the Devils led 3-2,
But at 17:57, Cole Perfetti made a couple of moves at the Devils’ net and tried to flip the puck over Allen’s glove on the short side. The puck hit Allen and then the post and bounced behind the goalie where Gabriel Vilardi banged it across the line. It was Vilardi’s 18th of the season from Perfetti and Josh Morrissey (28th assist of the season) as the Jets were able to go to the dressing room tied 3-3 with the Devils after 40 minutes.
The Devils outshot the Jets 13-6 in the second period (21-14 after two periods) as the visitors dominated the game.
The Jets took a 4-3 lead at 6:17 of the third period when Josh Morrissey set up Tanner Pearson in the Devils crease and Pearson made no mistake, banging the puck between Allen’s legs. It was Pearson’s sixth of the season from Morrissey and Cole Koepke.
It also held up as the winner. Despite a couple of close calls in the final 30 seconds of regulation time when the Devils were attacking with the net empty, the Jets were able to hang on and win their second straight game. The Jets outshot New Jersey 9-6 in the third period.
The three stars were selected by a someone who didn’t see the game. 1. Perfetti, 2. Morrissey and 3. New Jersy’s Luke Hughes. The two best players on the ice – by a mile – were Cody Glass of the Devils and Gabriel Vilardi of the Jets.
The Jets play again on Tuesday, Jan. 13, as the New York Islanders come to town for a 7 p.m. start. It’s the final game of a five-game homestand (2-1-1).
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