It won’t make up for last spring’s playoff elimination, but the Jets still managed to avenge their loss in the Western Conference final.
Despite getting dominated in the shot department, the Jets handed the Vegas Golden Knights a 4-1 loss on Tuesday at Bell MTS Place.
Making his second start in the last three games, Jets goalie Laurent Brossoit was fantastic. He finished the night with 43 saves and set a franchise record for saves in a period, making 26 stops in the middle frame alone.
“I like periods like that, and games like that where I’m tested early and often,” Brossoit said.
“The second period was definitely one of those and got me into the game. There’s not a lot of rest in between, and I like that.”
Brossoit won for the 10th time in 11 starts this season, and he’s also won his last seven consecutive starts.
“I think he just warmed as the game went on,” head coach Paul Maurice said.
“It was a fairly even first period. There wasn’t a lot of action. But as the penalties came on, he kinda got that feeling part way through the second period, that they’re gonna have to get a tip or something to beat him because he was just tracking everything so well.”
Kyle Connor had two goals and an assist, while Mathieu Perreault and Mark Scheifele also scored in the victory. Blake Wheeler recorded two more assists to give him 51 helpers on the season.
The Jets have won five straight games on home ice and have yet to lose at Bell MTS Place since the turn of the calendar.
It was a busy night for the Jets penalty killers, who were a perfect 6-for-6 with Vegas on the man advantage.
Brandon Pirri scored the lone goal for the Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves.
It was their first meeting with Vegas since the Golden Knights ousted them in the Western Conference final.
“Obviously with how well they’re playing and the rivalry going back to last year — was a big game,” Josh Morrissey said. “I thought we came out and played a really solid defensive game.”
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The Golden Knights had a couple of early scoring chances, hitting the goalpost behind Brossoit, but it was scoreless through the opening period. The shots were 10-9 in favour of Vegas.
Sami Niku just missed out on the game’s opening goal a couple of minutes into the second period. On the odd-man rush, Wheeler sent the puck in front, but Niku just missed the wide open side, and the game remained tied.
The Jets opened the scoring just a few minutes later. With the team shorthanded, Connor raced in all alone on the breakaway. He faked one way and went the other, scoring on a nifty deke on Fleury. Bryan Little had the only assist on Connor’s 17th goal of the season and the Jets had the lead. It was the first shorthanded goal the Golden Knights have surrendered this season.
Brossoit was fantastic in the middle frame for Winnipeg. The Jets killed off three separate Golden Knights powerplays in the first half of the period thanks in large part to a number of big stops by the Jets backup goalie.
The Jets struck again with 3:37 remaining in the frame. Perreault poked the puck past Deryk Engelland and had a clear lane to the net. Perreault skated in and sent in the backhand on just their fifth shot of the period. Perreault’s 10th goal of the season was unassisted.
The Jets were shorthand for over nine minutes in the second period and were badly outshot 26-7.
Vegas finally broke through on their 38th shot just over a minute into the final frame. Brayden McNabb’s point shot was tipped in by Pirri. Former Jet Paul Stastny had the other assist and was booed by the Winnipeg crowd when it was announced. It was Pirri’s eighth goal of the season and it was a one-goal game.
The Jets added a pair of empty-net goals. Scheifele set up Connor for the first empty netter, and Connor returned the favour just a minute later as Scheifele found the open goal for his 25th of the campaign.
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Little appeared in his 800th career NHL game.
Defenceman Tyler Myers returned to the lineup after missing the past two games with a lower-body injury.
Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Chiarot and Nikolaj Ehlers missed the game with injuries, while Nic Petan was a healthy scratch.
The Jets have two more games before their eight-day mid-season break. Up next is another playoff rematch when Winnipeg takes on the Nashville Predators on Thursday in Tennessee.
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