The Winnipeg Jets began their three-game road trip with a 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Winnipeg Jets travelled to Vegas on Thursday night for the opening match of a three-game road trip. Taking on the reigning Stanley Cup champions for the second time their first 10 games of the season, the Jets were once again in tough against a team that entered the night 9-0-1 and had earned 19 of a possible 20 points to start the year.
It was a frustrating game for the visitors, who were unable to capitalize on momentum gained on either of their goals, with Vegas snuffing out every opportunity.
Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist for Winnipeg, but it was Jonathan Marchessault's hat trick that ultimately did the Jets in.
William Karlsson got the Golden Knights on the board first, as he capped off a two-on-one play off a pass from Pavel Dorofeyev. With Dylan DeMelo pinching towards Dorofeyev, the young forward dished it back to Karlsson, who picked up his fourth of the season while extending his point streak to eight games.
Vegas finished the period up 1-0 and pulled ahead to a 10-5 shot lead through 20 minutes.
That lead quickly dissipated, however, as the Jets came out firing to start the second period.
After outshooting the home team 6-0 to open the frame, Connor tied the game on a strong individual effort on Winnipeg’s seventh shot of the period. Mark Scheifele got the puck to Alex Iafallo, who found his speedy linemate cutting into the Vegas zone. Connor toe-dragged past the sprawling defender before roofing a backhand past Thompson 6:17 into the period.
"It was a good breakout," Connor said post-game. "Got it out wide. The D started sliding even before I even made a play, so he kind of made up my mind for me just to take that ice in the front. If you can go back against the grain – especially on a backhand – I don’t think he’s really expecting that, the goaltender. So that was my mindset coming back there to the middle.”
The celebration was short-lived, however, as the Jets found themselves on the penalty kill almost immediately after the tying goal.
With Mason Appleton serving a double-minor for high-sticking at 6:30, Vegas scored twice on the ensuing four-minute power play.
First, it was Marchessault who finished off a perfect stretch passing play from netminder Logan Thompson. The former Brandon Wheat Kings goaltender found fellow Wheaties alum Mark Stone alone up-ice as Winnipeg made a change. Stone got the puck across ice to Marchessault, whose fourth of the season came just 30 seconds into the man advantage.
1:38 later, it was Ivan Barbashev, whose third of the year was a result of Adam Lowry and Brenden Dillon jumping up into the rush and missing the net on a shorthanded two-on-one. With Vlad Namestnikov left to cover on defence, Alex Pietrangelo’s wrist shot bounced perfectly off Hellebuyck to Barbashev, who made no mistake giving Vegas its third goal of the game.
Winnipeg did next to nothing to attempt any sort of a comeback in the middle stanza after those power play markers. Vegas led the game 3-1 and the shot chart 19-18 through 40 minutes of play.
But that changed in the early stages of the third period. With Marchessault in the box for delay of game, the Jets finally found a way to score on the power play, after entering the game without a goal in their previous 13 opportunities.
It was Alex Iafallo who got the final touch on a Connor wrist shot. It first deflected off the stick of Cole Perfetti, before bouncing off the left hand of Iafallo for his fourth of the year.
“Obviously, having Cole and Alex, two lefties there on my side, that shot-tip becomes available," Connor added. "We were really trying to focus more on a net-front presence. Sometimes that’s what it needs on the power play – even five on five – is just to get one of those. Just pucks and bodies around the net."
Much like the Connor goal, Iafallo's marker came on a run of five-straight Jets shots to start the period.
Also like that of Connor's goal, Vegas responded to the Iafallo tally in rather quick nature.
It was Marchessault who made amends for his earlier penalty, as he scored his second of the game, putting the finishing touches on another play between Pietrangelo and Barbashev.
The Marchessault goal came at the 5:47 mark of the third, restoring Vegas' two-goal cushion as time ticked down.
Winnipeg once again outshot the Golden Knights in the third, but just couldn't find a way to get another puck past Thompson.
Marchessault got his third of the game into the empty net with 2:52 remaining, as Winnipeg opted to pull Hellebuyck for the extra attacker late in the game.
"Our power play, I really thought it looked good tonight, we got one," Connor said. "Took a right step. Our PK is working really hard. I know they had that breakaway, but that’s easily fixable and another one off the pads. Overall, I thought we controlled a lot of the pace of the game. It’s going to come down to those small things, and obviously, special teams, we are looking to improve those for sure.”
Hellebuyck made 21 stops on the 25 shots he faced on Thursday, while Thompson put up 29 saves on 31 Winnipeg shots. With the win Vegas improved to 10-0-1, while the Jets fell to 4-4-2 on the year.
Next up for Winnipeg is a Saturday afternoon tilt with the Arizona Coyotes, before heading to St. Louis for a Tuesday evening game with the Blues. Both games can be found live on TSN. The Jets will then head home to Canada Life Centre, where the club starts a season-high five-game homestand.