In Winnipeg, Kyle Connor scored at 18:46 of the third period to give the Jets a 4-3 lead and win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.
“The puck got rimmed down low to Bryan [Little] and he made an incredible pass on his backhand there and found me in the slot,” Connor said. “Just tried to get it off quick.”
The Jets improved to 33-16-2.
Kyle Connor scored game-winner for Jets Thursday night – file photo courtesy of Lewis Bleiman
“It’s fun to be part of this group,” Connor said. “Everybody from Day One is trying to get better. That’s what makes this group great. I think everybody’s helping each other get to that next level.”
The Jets had to rally from a 3-2 deficit in the third; Jack Roslovic tied the game before Connor’s goal.
Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves to get the win.
“It [stinks],” Columbus’ Nick Foligno said. “It [stinks] to lose that way in the last minute. Guys played really hard, played to our identity tonight, and [it] just doesn’t sit well with me getting scored on late like that.”
Artemi Panarin, Josh Anderson and Oliver Bjorkstrand scored for the Jackets.
Columbus has lost four straight and dropped to 28-19-3.
“It’s a hard one for our guys, for sure,” Columbus coach John Tortorella said. “They played hard, did a lot better job as far as what we asked for them in the battles. It’s a tough one not to come up with anything.”
Mark Scheifele and Mason Appleton also scored for the Jets.
[WATCH: All Blue Jackets vs. Jets highlights]
Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves in the loss.
The Blue Jackets lost despite a solid effort in response to Tortorella calling their last loss (to the Buffalo Sabres) embarrassing.
“It’s a good step in the right direction, though, of answering the bell and getting challenged by [coach John Tortorella] and ourselves, really,” Foligno said. “It wasn’t really so much [Tortorella], it was we didn’t feel like we played our best game so we wanted to come out and play a real good game, and we did.”
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