In Las Vegas, Connor Hellebuyck made 16 saves for the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night in a 5-1 win over the Golden Knights. 
With steals home ice ice advantage fro Vegas and give the Jets a 1-0 series lead in their first round set with the Knights.
Blake Wheeler had a goal and three points in the win.
“We were prepared for a fast start, and the other times we played here this year, they buzzed us really early and we had a tough time getting our game going,” Wheeler said. “We wanted to try to assert ourselves and be aggressive early on, and after that first period we were feeling pretty good about our game. ”
Kyle Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in the first 2:26 of the middle frame to give the Jets a 2-0 lead.
“Tonight was clearly the best game we played against them for the full 60 minutes (this season),” Jets coach Rick Bowness said. “Now, they’re a great hockey club, they’re going to get momentum, so I found tonight we bent a little bit but didn’t break.”
The two goals were scored 62 seconds apart.
“I like to throw anybody who scores a goal to go right back with them,” Bowness said. “They’re feeling good about themselves. It was a short shift when they scored. We always like to go back to a line that scored.”
Vegas’ William Karlsson scored at 15:49 of the second to trim the deficit to 2-1.
“It’s one game,” said Golden Knights captain Mark Stone. “Sometimes you flush it and go. We definitely have to look and see what we’re doing good and what we’re doing wrong.”
Winnipeg reclaimed the two-goal lead when Wheeler scored four minutes into the third period.
“They scored a big goal there toward the end of the second period and it gave them some momentum, the crowd was into it,” Wheeler said. “The end of the period came at a good time for us. We were able to reset. It was good to have a good third.
“We played well. It was the way we wanted to play and we know what to expect for Game 2. This team is probably the best team in the League at home in the first period, so the start of the next game is going to be huge.”
Adam Lowry scored twice in the final 90 seconds of the game.
His first was into an empty net for a 4-1 count to the Jets, and the second was off a nifty set of passes on the power play for a 5-1 final.
Vegas had two shots on goal in the third period.
“Offensively, we knew they weren’t going to give up much. This is what they are,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “If you’re not prepared to play a game behind their [defensemen] and forecheck turnovers, then loosen them up and then get your rush chances, then it’s going to be a challenge.”
Laurent Brossoit made 26 saves in the loss.1
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