In Winnipeg, the Jets scored three times in the opening period on Tuesday, Kyle Connor hit for a double in the second period in a 5-1 thumping of the Ottawa Senators.
David Rittich made 35 saves in the Jets win.
Josh Morrissey had a goal in the first period outburst by the Jets.
“Josh has that ability with his hockey IQ, he’s one step ahead of what’s going to happen next,” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. “That’s why he’s able to read the play, break up plays, get there first, his gaps, all those things, it’s his ability to stay one step ahead. Any elite player in any sport has that high IQ for that sport, and he certainly has it.”
Winnipeg improved to 21-10-1.
“[Rittich] has been fantastic for us,” Morrissey said. “He’s the kind of guy who can steal a game for you and put out a great performance. It’s not an easy job when you’re playing sporadically. You get a lot of the second night on back to backs where the team’s tired and situations like that. And he’s just been fantastic. He brings a lot of energy to the room, and when he’s been in net, he’s been unbelievable.”
The Jets took a 1-0 lad on a strike from Kevin Stenlund in the first.
“[The pass] was perfect,” Stenlund said. “Great forecheck. Sometimes it’s maybe good to lose a face-off. [Gustafsson and Jonsson-Fjallby] did a really good job on the goal.”
Morrissey’s goal pushed the lead to 2-0.
“I thought we responded well tonight,” Morrissey said. “I don’t know if it was necessarily a Picasso out there, but we found a way to win. It’s not always going to be pretty. It’s not always going to be your perfect game.”
Ottawa’s Drake Batherson trimmed the lead to 2-1 with the Sens’ only goal of the game.
“Right from the get-go just weren’t sharp,” Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. “No execution on breakouts, turnovers. The first (Jets) goal, just not hard enough, just lose battles and it’s in the back of the net. You get too far behind and the game’s over.”
The Senators dropped to 14-16-2.
Sam Gagner pushed the lead back to two goals with a strike in the first.
“When it’s there, I’ll try to use [that type of pass],” Morrissey said. “Both times just loaded up to shoot it and saw there was a better option backdoor. Maybe next time I shoot it, who knows? But if a guy is there, I’ll try to make that pass.”
Cam Talbot made 19 saves in the Sens loss.
“Not good enough, bottom line,” Talbot said. “We weren’t ready to start and they made us pay early. They play so well defensively, take away the middle of the ice, don’t give up a ton off the rush. They play a pretty good five-man game, and you can’t get behind early against a team like that because they can clog up the middle, and when you give them opportunities they can put them in the back of the net, which they showed tonight.”
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