In Winnipeg, Kyle Connor hit for a hat trick including the game-winner with 54 seconds left in regulation to help the Jets to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.
“My game wasn’t too far off,” Connor said. “I put a little more emphasis on getting to the net tonight, just being around more pucks there. A couple of good plays by [Scheifele] and [Sam Gagner] too.
“Just put yourself in good situations, that’s all you can ask for. So, I wasn’t getting too frustrated through the first 10, 12, 13 games there.”
Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves in the Jets win.
“It was just a matter of time,” Jets coach Rick Bowness said. “[Connor] had some really good looks early that didn’t go in. I think that first one gave him a big boost, and you could see all of a sudden the stride picked up, the enthusiasm picked up a lot. A little bit of a weight off his shoulders.”
Winnipeg improved to 10-4-1.
“Kyle has been awesome,” the Jets Mark Scheifele said. “He’s made so many good plays. I’ve been lucky to be on the receiving end on a bunch of his really nice passes. It was nice to pay him back tonight. What a fantastic pass that [Gagner] made on his second goal.”
Troy Terry scored in the first period to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.
Anaheim dropped to 5-11-1.
Connor’s first goal of the game came off the power play for a 1-1 tie.
Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras tied the game, 2-2, 28 seconds after Connor hit for his second goal in the middle frame.
“We played 59 good minutes,” Zegras said. “I make a bad play on the wall and miss my guy going to the front of the net and the game’s over. I would say it’s kind of on me.”
John Gibson made 29 saves in the Ducks loss.
“[Zegras] scored a massive goal to get us back in the game at 2-2, but it’s a great reminder, especially to all of our younger players, that keeping pucks out of our net is just as important as putting them in their net,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said.
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