Carter Brooks Winnipeg Jets Post-game Report The Winnipeg Jets have improved to 15-0-1 on the season thanks to a solid road effort from the Big Apple. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele each scored twice, while Connor Hellebuyck made 34 saves, as the Jets continued their road dominance on Tuesday, improving to a perfect 7-0-0 as the visitor this year. What was expected to be a goaltender battle turned into a 'last goal wins' scenario, with Winnipeg striking early and often. The teams exchanged goals in the first period, with the Jets opening the scoring less than a minute in. Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele teamed up for the game's opening tally, as Winnipeg's top defender intercepted a New York pass in the offensive zone. He quickly got the puck to Scheifele in the slot, who craftily put it up over Shesterkin. The goal was Scheifele's eighth of the season and extended his current point-scoring streak to eight games. It took until the 13-minute mark for New York to tie things back up, and the host did so off the stick of second-year forward Will Cuylle. With Morrissey scrambling to find his ground after being high-sticked, the puck found its way right to Cuylle, who tapped home the rebound from the foot of the crease, putting the puck past Hellebuyck rather easily. The back-and-forth scoring affair continued into the middle stanza, with Winnipeg once again striking first. On a Cuylle penalty, Vilardi put on a show, batting a Neal Pionk point shot out of the air, stick-handling around Shesterkin, before capitalizing on a give-and-go with Nikolaj Ehlers on the goal line. Much like that of Scheifele, Vilardi's goal extended his personal point-scoring streak to eight games. But once again, the Rangers battled back. This time it was 2020 first overall selection Alexis Lafreniere, who fired home a long-range wrist shot through a Chris Kreider screen. The goal marked the first time in four games that Hellebuyck has given up more than one goal in a game. Kyle Connor brought Winnipeg back on top with just under four minutes left in the frame. The slumping sniper opted to keep on a two-on-one up-ice, to which he put home his 10th of the season, but first in five games. The Jets led 3-2 after 40 minutes of play, despite trailing 28-21 on the shot chart. Scheifele added his second of the game and seventh in three games at Madison Square Garden on a redirection play 1:08 into the third period, but Kaapo Kakko 32 seconds later, bringing the hosts back to within one goal. Vlad Namestnikov made it 5-3 with his second goal in as many games with just seven minutes remaining. He found linemate Nikolaj Ehlers on a two-on-one, picked up Ehlers' rebound off the end boards and beat Shesterkin back to his near post on the wraparound, giving Winnipeg a much needed cushion. Connor added an empty-net strike for his 11th of the season with just seconds remaining, giving Winnipeg its 15th win of the year and improving the team to a perfect 7-0-0 on the road and 15-1-0 overall. Hellebuyck finished the night with 34 saves, while Shesterkin was lit up for five goals on 32 shots faced. Winnipeg will next travel south to the Sunshine State for tests with the Tampa Bay Lighting and Florida Panthers on Thursday and Saturday evenings. Both games will see 6:00 PM central start times.
