The Winnipeg Jets’ torrid start to the season continued Tuesday night, downing the St. Louis Blues 3-2 to start a three-game road trip.
The Jets remain the last undefeated team in the NHL as they moved to 6-0 to improve on their best start in franchise history.
The Jets fell behind for the second straight game, but they responded with three straight goals in the second period to take the lead and Connor Hellebuyck made a game-saving stop in the dying seconds to secure another victory.
“I thought our first eight minutes, we were a little bit slow out of the gate,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “I thought we weren’t real crisp on what we were trying to do and St. Louis, I thought were better for the first eight. Then we got going.
“I think two teams kinda feeling each other out a little bit. I thought we were really good in the second though.”
Nino Niederreiter, Kyle Connor, and Colin Miller scored goals for the Jets.
“Just kinda stuck with it,” said Connor. “Obviously, frustrating not being able to capitalize on some of those chances with a lot of zone time. But stuck with it. Obviously, Miller’s goal was huge for us, kinda got us going.
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“Not getting frustrated was the biggest thing. A lot of these teams, it’s easy to just say what the heck and play into that game. And I think we did a good job, with a mature group to kinda stick to what we do best.”
Connor’s second period goal extended his point streak to six games and he’s scored a goal in five out of six contests this year.
Cole Perfetti registered three assists and now has seven points over his last three games.
“It definitely feels good,” Perfetti said. “It’s good for the confidence of the line and I think we’re feeling it the last couple games here. A lot of it is coming from our good D-zone. I think we’re taking care of things in our end of the ice and really trying to dial that in.”
The Jets have now won 10 of their last 11 meetings against the Blues and are 3-0 against Central Division opponents this season.
The Jets, with the NHL’s top ranked power play, scored once on two chances with the man advantage with Winnipeg’s second power play unit connecting.
“We’re not relying on just our top unit,” Arniel said.
The Blues opened the scoring just past the midway point of the first when Brandon Saad banged home a rebound past Hellebuyck, giving St. Louis a 1-0 lead that they would carry into the second period.
Just over eight minutes into the middle frame, Winnipeg’s red-hot power play struck again as Niederreiter tipped home a Neal Pionk point shot to level the score.
The Jets took the lead less than six minutes later. Perfetti laid a perfect pass to the point where Miller stepped into a howitzer that blew past Jordan Binnington at the 13:58 mark.
Connor made it 3-1 at the 17:40 mark, jumping off the bench and taking a pass from Dylan Samberg before wiring it high past Binnington.
Winnipeg carried the two-goal lead into the third but 5:15 into the period, Saad scored his second of the game off a rebound to cut the lead to one.
Both goalies made several good saves to keep the score the way it was, with Hellebuyck making a toe save in the final minute with Binnington pulled to secure the victory, Winnipeg’s fourth in a row against the Blues and 12th in their last 14 meetings.
Hellebuyck stopped 26 shots in earning the win.
The Jets now head to Seattle where they will look for a seventh straight win to start the season on Thursday. Puck drop is just after 9 p.m.
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