The Winnipeg Jets have jumped out to a 1-0 lead in their opening round Stanley Cup Playoff matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Four different Jets put up multi-point nights, while Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 16 of 17 shots, as Winnipeg earned a decisive 5-1 victory on Tuesday night from T-Mobile Arena.
Opening their best-of-seven series from the entertainment capital of the world, the Jets built upon a strong first period, added a couple markers in the second, before shutting down the No. 1 team in the Western Conference as the game wore on.
And they did so without one of their top offensive drivers.
After serving as a full participant during Monday's practice in Vegas, Nikolaj Ehlers was a surprise scratch for Game 1. Nursing an upper-body injury following a hit that resulted in a suspension for Minnesota's Ryan Hartman a week prior, the speedy Jets winger clearly wasn't quite ready for game action.
He was replaced in the lineup by Morgan Barron, who slid up alongside Blake Wheeler and Vladislav Namestnikov. It was David Gustafsson who earned the open place in the lineup, as he joined Kevin Stenlund and Saku Maenalanen on the fourth line.
Barron, who received a bump up the lineup, actually missed parts of both the first and second period after suffering a massive cut to his face from the skate blade of goaltender Laurent Brossoit. It was reported that he needed upwards of 75 stitches to close the wound.
Meeting for the first time in the playoffs since the 2018 Western Conference Final, the few remaining players from that Jets team would never admit to wanting revenge for their postseason failure from five years prior, but their actions on Tuesday certainly proved the memories live on.
It was one of Winnipeg's best opening periods of the year, and it came at the perfect time. Although failing to score, the Jets did manage to double the Knights in shots, 14-7. They could have had two or three goals in the frame - two off the stick of Mason Appleton alone - but left for the dressing room with a 0-0 draw.
Winnipeg was awarded back-to-back power plays late in the frame, but neither materialized in anything more than a near miss.
The second period, however, was a different story.
The Jets opened the frame with goals on their first two shots. First, it was a Kyle Connor, who potted his 10th career postseason goal just 1:24 into the period. He took a Pierre-Luc Dubois pass right in his wheelhouse and hammered it past his former teammate, quieting the home crowd.
Then just a minute later, Dubois found a goal of his own, as he picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, put on the afterburners and wired a heavy wrist shot through Brossoit, before uttering some choice words in his direction.
Dubois' ninth career playoff goal was just the second shot of the period for Winnipeg, which put up goals on its first two shots.
But before the period could come to a close, Vegas did manage to get the Fortress rocking. With 4:11 remaining, deadline acquisition Ivan Barbashev took a hit to make a play, as he drew Neal Pionk to him before dishing the puck to William Karlsson. The Knights' sniper easily put the puck past Hellebuyck, cutting the Jets' lead in half.
Winnipeg maintained its shot lead through 40 minutes, entering the third period up 2-1 and leading 22-15 on the shot chart.
Much like that of Winnipeg's back-to-back failed power plays in the opening frame, Vegas was unable to find the twine on either of its second period man advantages.
The Jets needed just 3:53 to restore their two-goal lead, with Blake Wheeler collecting the garbage. Nino Niederreiter blocked a Nate Schmidt shot, and the rebound fell to Wheeler, who shovelled a backhander through Brossoit and into the net.
A late too-many-men penalty gave Vegas a chance to pull within one, but it was Adam Lowry who scored the insurance marker on an empty net, sealing the deal for the Jets.
He added another goal with just 18 seconds remaining, as Winnipeg product Keegan Kolesar looked on from the penalty box.
Hellebuyck finished the night with 16 saves on 17 Golden Knights shots, while Brossoit turned aside 26 of the 30 pucks fired his way.
Game 2 is set for Thursday night, once again in Vegas. Those hoping for an earlier start time will have to wait for Saturday, as Thursday's contest will get going even later than Tuesday's, with 9:00 PM central as its scheduled start time.
The series will shift to Winnipeg for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday, as the Jets will look to take advantage of their hometown, white-clad fans at Canada Life Centre.
The full series can be viewed live on Sportsnet.