It’s arduous to think about the season beginning any higher for the Winnipeg Jets.
Taking over the defending Western Convention champions of their constructing, the Jets steamrolled the Edmonton Oilers 6-0 due to their depth, particular groups, and their reigning Vezina Trophy winner in objective.
The Jets scored twice within the first interval and tacked on three extra within the second and by no means seemed again. Winnipeg had targets from six completely different gamers and 12 gamers had at the least some extent.
“I simply thought we had been actual stable as a workforce there,” stated Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “We simply got here out and one line went out and did what they wanted to do. The subsequent line got here out and did the identical factor, and plenty of great things. And clearly to win it the way in which we did is massive in opposition to that workforce.
“It’s a highway win in a tricky barn and we’ll take that and transfer on.”
It was the second time within the final three seasons the Jets had been victorious of their season opener.
Connor Hellebuyck was in high-quality kind regardless of lacking the final two days of apply for private causes to cope with household stuff. He stopped all 30 photographs he confronted for his thirty eighth profession shutout and received a bit of emotional afterwards.
“It’s been a reasonably loopy week,” Hellebuyck stated. “It’s been robust on the entire household, however the boys performed nice for me and so they’ve been actually supportive this whole time, so I actually cherish these moments. And I cherish my time with household. So, hope they’re doing alright.”
Mason Appleton had a three-point evening with one objective and two assists. Kyle Connor set an NHL document by scoring in his seventh straight season opener.
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“It’s exceptional for him to have seven straight,” stated captain Adam Lowry. “I can’t even fathom that, to be sincere.”
Winnipeg scored twice on their three possibilities on the ability play.
The Jets didn’t beat the Oilers in regulation in any respect final season.
“To return into Edmonton, we all know the roster they’ve there,” Lowry stated. “They’re an important workforce and to get the primary win of the season, straight away it’s a very good feeling and we’re gonna look to construct on that for Friday evening.”
Haydn Fleury needed to go away the sport quickly within the second interval after taking a shot up excessive, however returned for the beginning of the third.
Winnipeg received the primary likelihood to attain simply over a minute in when Mark Scheifele discovered himself on a breakaway however he was turned apart by Stuart Skinner.
It stayed goalless till the 14:56 mark of the primary when Lowry banked in a rebound from a tricky angle off the pad of Skinner to open the scoring.
Lowry’s line doubled the lead with 1:25 to go. An ideal stretch go from Neal Pionk to Nino Niederreiter received the puck into the Edmonton finish, then Niederreiter discovered a streaking Appleton who buried a shot underneath Skinner’s glove to make it 2-0.
Edmonton almost received on the board earlier than the interval expired however Zach Hyman hit the put up.
Early within the second, the Jets blew the sport vast open due to a pair of targets from unlikely sources.
After an extended shift within the Edmonton finish, Josh Morrissey despatched an important backdoor go to Rasmus Kupari who banged it previous Skinner to make it 3-0 on the 4:17 mark. It was his first objective as a Winnipeg Jet and first within the NHL since Jan. 3, 2023 as a member of the Los Angeles Kings. It was additionally simply his tenth profession objective in his 159th NHL recreation.
Simply 20 seconds later, Dylan Samberg made it 4-0 when he completed off a Jets rush in transition by taking a go from Appleton and burying it top-shelf. Samberg scored only one objective in 78 video games final season and solely three in his 156 recreation NHL profession coming into the evening.
Winnipeg saved piling on once they received their first energy play likelihood of the evening. Connor wired a wrister previous Skinner simply 29 seconds into the person benefit to make it 5-0.
Skinner was pulled for Calvin Pickard through the second media timeout of the interval, his evening ending after permitting 5 targets on 13 photographs.
Whereas the offence piled up stats, Hellebuyck stayed sharp in objective, stopping all 25 photographs he confronted by means of the primary 40 minutes.
Scheifele received in on the enjoyable with slightly below six minutes remaining within the recreation, deflecting a crisp go from Nikolaj Ehlers previous Pickard on the ability play to make it 6-0.
The one factor left to find out at that time was whether or not Hellebuyck may get the shutout and he succeeded, stopping all seven photographs he confronted within the third.
The Jets will now return residence to play their residence opener Friday evening in opposition to Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. Puck drop is simply after 7 p.m. with pregame protection beginning at 5 p.m. on Energy 97.
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