Kyle Connor scored twice on the power play and added an assist to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena. Stuart Skinner stopped 33 shots to earn Winnipeg its first win of the season after an overtime loss to Boston on Friday.
Special Teams Power Winnipeg Past Detroit
The Jets capitalized early with three power-play goals in the opening periods. Cole Perfetti opened the scoring at 13:04 of the first when a pass from Connor deflected off Detroit defenseman Justin Faulk in the slot, popping over goaltender John Gibson. The Jets drew unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against J.T. Compher and Keegan Kolesar in the first period to set up the early goals. Just 1:32 later, Connor netted his first of the night by taking a pass from Gabriel Vilardi above the right face-off circle, driving to the net, and flipping a backhand over Gibson’s left shoulder.
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Perfetti picked up the secondary assist on Connor’s first-period goal, marking his 100th career NHL assist. Through two games, he has just been dominating with the puck,
Jets head coach Scott Arniel said of Connor, according to nhl.com. But the play I remember is him tracking back to break up a 3-on-2. He does those things on both ends of the ice.
Connor extended the lead to 3-0 at 5:41 of the second period with his second power-play tally, burying a rebound from the right circle after Gibson stopped a slap shot from Josh Morrissey. Connor recorded 25 shot attempts and 14 shots on goal through the first two games of the season, nearly securing his eighth career hat trick on Sunday. Winnipeg finished 3-for-4 with the man advantage, while Detroit converted 1-for-5.
I think it is safe to say our special teams played a huge role in that win,
Perfetti said, noting that the penalty kill also performed well late in the game.
Red Wings Battle Back Too Late
Detroit fell to 0-2-0 on the young season after being shut out 2-0 by the New York Rangers on Friday. Viktor Arvidsson broke the Red Wings’ scoreless streak with 3:08 remaining in the second period, beating Skinner.
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Emmitt Finnie pulled Detroit within one at 4:56 of the third period, scoring to make it a 3-2 game. John Gibson finished with 24 saves for the Red Wings. Despite a late power play and pulling Gibson for an extra attacker, Detroit failed to equalize. Skinner made a crucial stop against Lucas Raymond in the final minute, and defenseman Neal Pionk assisted in clearing a loose puck near the crease to preserve Winnipeg’s lead.
The penalty kill failed us,
Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said, according to nhl.com. I thought 5-on-5, we created more chances than we did against the Rangers, but we have to find a way to finish.
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Absences and Roster Shuffles at Little Caesars Arena
Both teams played without prominent roster members involved in ongoing trade requests. Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck remained on the suspended/inactive list, and Detroit center Dylan Larkin missed the contest due to an upper-body injury. Several prominent members of the U.S. gold-medal squad from the Milan Cortina Olympics were absent from the ice. The Red Wings also played without forward Marco Kasper, who has an upper-body injury, and unsigned defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Matchup
How many points does Cole Perfetti have through two games?
Cole Perfetti has four points, tallying a goal and two assists against Detroit after opening the season with the Jets.
Who are the next opponents for Winnipeg and Detroit?
The Winnipeg Jets travel to play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, while the Detroit Red Wings host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
What was the final shot count for both goaltenders?
Winnipeg goaltender Stuart Skinner made 33 saves on 35 shots, while Detroit netminder John Gibson stopped 24 shots.