The Winnipeg Jets improved to 52-24-6 to close out the season with a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
The Winnipeg Jets improved to 52-24-6 to close out the season with a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
An undermanned Winnipeg Jets team picked up its eighth-straight win, beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Thursday to finish as Canada's No. 1 team entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With a couple pieces of business left to finalize, the Jets entered the game in hopes of securing home-ice advantage over both the Canucks and Edmonton Oilers with a victory.
They also came in with three fewer goals allowed than the Florida Panthers, meaning two or fewer goals against would give the team sole possession of the William Jennings Trophy for the least goals scored against.
And helping get the job done for the Jets was two players making their NHL debuts: Brad Lambert - who had an assist on the Jets' first goal of the game - and Nikita Chibrikov, who scored the game-winning tally.
"It's like the dream which you start from the first steps on the ice and live with this every day," Chibrikov said post-game. "Like I’m really excited and I'm happy to be here. Thanks for the opportunity to the Jets. Thanks for the team. All stuff like really happened for sure. Thanks, who helped me for all this way like my parents, coaches, everybody."
Sitting out for load management purposes were Mark Schefiele, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Adam Lowry, Brenden Dillon and Connor Hellebuyck.
Things did not get off to a good start for Winnipeg, however, as the Canucks struck first, scoring on their first 'shot' of the game. In fact, it wasn't even a shot at all, but a Dylan DeMelo cleaning attempt that banked off Conor Garland's shin pads and in.
The goal came 5:22 into the contest, but Winnipeg battled back before the first turned into the second.
It was newcomer Brad Lambert who helped get the Jets back on the board. He set up the play, took a hit and dished the disc to Alex Iafallo, who found former Los Angeles Kings teammate Gabe Vilardi alone in front of the net. He patiently outwaited Thatcher Demko before tucking the puck into the yawning cage.
“Dream come true, for sure," Lambert said. "Unbelievable feeling yesterday when I figured out that I was going to play. It didn’t feel real at first. And then getting here and experiencing this along with Chibby and all these guys that made it so special. To be able to get a win as well feels awesome.”
The teams entered the middle stanza deadlocked at ones.
It took just 55 seconds for the Jets to get another, as Cole Perfetti fired home his 18th of the year on a strong wrist shot.
But then on a Laurent Brossiot delay of game minor, the Canucks struck again, tying it at twos. Elias Lindholm puck his stick on a Quinn Hughes point shot, redirecting the power play marker past Brossoit and into the net.
The goal was the last Winnipeg could allow in order to win the trophy outright.
Due for a big third period, the Jets came out with a brilliant push, and Chibrikov found his first career goal, scoring 5:18 into the frame off a perfect pass from Nino Niederreiter.
“You can't believe, first seconds like then, like (take) a seat on the bench and like, go to your mind and things like ‘yeah, it's happened like you are here and like, it's the first step of your dream, it starts," he said.
Perfetti got his second of the game into the empty net, sealing the deal for the Jets and helping Winnipeg to a fourth-place finish and conclude the year as the Jennings Trophy champions.
Brossoit finished the night with 18 stops on the 20 Canucks shots he faced, while Demko turned aside 22 of Winnipeg's 25shots.
Next up for Winnipeg is the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which will begin on Sunday evening against the Colorado Avalanche. Game time is expected to be