Streaking Jets Win Fifth Straight in High Scoring Affair with Canucks

Sometimes, the third try truly is the charm. On Sunday afternoon, the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks once again proved the age-old saying that no lead is safe in the National Hockey League. In fact, the teams took it up another level to 'no two-goal lead is safe'. And it wasn't just once, but on two separate occasions that the Canucks rallied to come back from being down two goals at Canada Life Centre. However, Winnipeg's final two-goal lead was too much for the Canucks to come back from as the home team proved victorious over its Canadian rival for the second time in a week-and-a-half.

"We gave up seven goals tonight, so it’s pretty hard to win those games," Canucks' forward JT Miller said post-game. "We learn from them, move on, and get ready for the next one.”

Assisted by a Kyle Connor hat trick and four assists from Pierre-Luc Dubois, David Rittich earned his sixth win of the season in his 10th appearance as Winnipeg took the game 7-4.

In fact, five different Jets players had multi-point performances on the night, with usual contributor Josh Morrissey actually being held off the scoresheet. And not only did the Jets impress their own fans on Sunday, but also fans from Ukraine, as the team honoured and hosted Ukraine's Under-25 National Team, as it made its way across Canada as a part of the Hockey Can't Stop tour. https://twitter.com/CBrooksie84/status/1612179599202594816

The first period was a wild display of goal scoring and failed defensive structure from both clubs. Five goals were scored, four of which counted.

Winnipeg jumped out ahead 2-0 on back-to-back strikes from Kyle Connor. He potted his first of the game just 6:22 in on a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play from Nikolaj Ehlers and Pierre-Luc Dubois.

"It’s a feel play, I don’t know if it’s necessarily chemistry, maybe that’s what it is," Connor said of Ehlers. "His awareness, when he gets the puck down there, he knows that someone’s gonna be out there, whether it was me, or anybody, left-hand shot there. He knows if he gets it to the weak side, someone’s going to have a good chance."

Then a minute-and-a-half later, Connor scored on a partial break pass from Kevin Stenlund. He tucked the puck five hole, putting the home team up 2-0 before the period had even reached its halfway point. Dubois picked up his second assist of the game on Connor’s 19^th marker of the year.

But that was about it for celebrations from the Jets in the frame.

First, Canucks’ forward Ilya Mikheyev blew by Brenden Dillon and tucked a backhander through Dave Rittich’s legs, seemingly giving Vancouver its first goal. But Winnipeg challenged the play and it was called back as Bo Horvat had entered the zone before the puck.

But that did hold back the Canucks’ attack.

Two quick ones from JT Miller and Jack Studnicka got the visitors right back into what quickly became a tie game. Both plays came from sloppy turnovers by the Jets, leading to the 2-2 score through 20 minutes of play. The goals came in the final five minutes of the frame, with Vancouver earning a 14-10 shot lead.

"I thought it was a little sloppy," Connor said. "We realize that. We came in after the second, talking about it, realizing it, that we’ve just got to be stronger, win more battles, make better decisions in our zone without the puck."

And the second period? More of the same.

Winnipeg jumped out to another quick two-goal lead, pulling ahead 3-2 on Nikolaj Ehlers’s first of the season, before Morgan Barron followed up on an Adam Lowry breakaway, potting the rebound and chasing Colin Delia from the net in favour of Spencer Martin. Barron’s fifth gave the Jets their second two-goal lead of the game.

“That’s the job when you’re not starting: you have to be ready," Spencer Martin said of entering midway through the game. "We came right back in the game right when I got in there. From that point on it was just disappointing that we couldn’t finish it.”

But once again, the advantage could not be sustained.

This time it was Horvat who absolutely ripped a wrist shot past Rittich from long range, scoring the seventh even strength goal of the game. Then, with Adam Lowry in the penalty box for holding, the Canucks tied it up once again. Sheldon Dries redirected JT Miller’s setup pass perfectly from the high slot, fooling Rittich on the touch play.

But rather than entering the intermission knotted up once again, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby got his mates back out ahead with an individual effort. He grabbed the puck from Sam Gagner and wired a wrister through the legs of Luke Schenn and past Martin high, far side.

“Actually I changed (my) tape job for today, changed to white tape," Jonsson-Fjallby laughed. "I used Schmidty’s brand there, “Short Side” so I guess that was it.” The third period saw two more tallies from Winnipeg, with Dylan DeMelo hammering home a shorthanded tally, before Kyle Connor finished off his second hat trick of the season. The goal was his 20th of the year and put the finishing touches on the Jets' 7-4 victory. “They’re one of the best teams in the league right now," Canucks' defenceman Luke Schenn said. "They’re deep, they’ve got two really good skilled lines up front that have speed and are pretty creative offensively. They can also have a cycle game and two lines that check pretty well and a fairly veteran group and a good backend. Obviously, we didn’t see (Connor) Hellebuyck tonight, but he’s probably the best goalie in the league right now, so they’re at the top of the standings for a reason.”

Although not his best performance of the season, David Rittich got the win, stopping 34 of 38 Canucks shots, while Colin Delia and Spencer Martin made just 20 combined saves, as their team fell on just 27 shots against. “I think he plays a great game, he makes huge saves," Jonsson-Fjallby said of Rittich. "Obviously, you know, I don’t know if you want to have four goals against, but I think he plays a great game. He makes great saves. We’ve just got to be better for him.” Next up for Winnipeg is a three-game-in-four-night American road trip, with stops in Detroit, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. The Jets face the Red Wings on Tuesday, before seeing the Sabres on Thursday and the Penguins on Friday. All three games feature 6:00 PM central time puck drops. Tuesday and Thursday's games can be seen live on TSN, while Friday's matchup will be delivered on Sportsnet.