Winnipeg Jets emerge victorious from Olympic break, thanks to Cole Perfetti’s OT winner | CBC News


Winnipeg Jets emerge victorious from Olympic break, thanks to Cole Perfetti’s OT winner | CBC News

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Cole Perfetti scored 1:37 into overtime to give the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in NHL play Wednesday night.

Perfetti scored off a rebound of a Adam Lowry shot for his seventh goal of the year.

Kyle Connor, returning to the Jets after helping the U.S. win Olympic gold, and Gabriel Vilardi also scored for Winnipeg (23-26-8). Mark Scheifele had two assists.

Jets goaltender Eric Comrie stopped 21 shots.

Drew O’Connor and Evander Kane scored for Vancouver (18-33-7). Brock Boeser, who celebrated his 29th birthday, collected an assist.

Goaltender Nikita Tolopilo stopped 25 shots for the Canucks.

A moment of silence was held prior to the game to remember the victims of the Feb. 10 shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.

Also before the game, and during the first period, the Canucks honoured Jim Robson, the long-time radio and television voice of the team who died Feb. 10 at age 91.

O’Connor opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game with a shot through Comrie’s pads.

Five Winnipeg Jets teammates celebrate.
Kyle Connor, centre, celebrates his first-period goal against the Vancouver Canucks with teammates, from left, Dylan DeMelo, Logan Stanley, Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press)

Connor tied the game with his 26th of the season after taking a pretty pass from Scheifele, skating out from behind the net, and finding an open corner.

Vancouver took a 2-1 lead just 38 seconds into the second period when Elias Pettersson won a draw in the Jets end and Kane blasted a one-timer past Comrie.

Vilardi tied the game again with less than two minutes left in second. Parked in the crease, he banged home a pass from Scheifele.

Takeaways

Canucks: With the NHL trade deadline approaching, veteran defenceman Tyler Myers did not dress for what the Canucks called roster management purposes. Defenceman Filip Hronek and Tolopilo had a huge collision during the first period but neither was hurt.

Jets: Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who backstopped the U.S. to the Olympic gold, then attended the State of the Union address Tuesday night in Washington, where it was announced he will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, didn’t make the trip to Vancouver. He is scheduled to join the team in Anaheim on Friday.

Key moment

With the Canucks leading 2-1 in the third period, the Jets were on a power play. Connor was looking at an open net before a diving Conor Garland knocked the puck away from his stick.

Key stat

The Jets played their sixth and final Wednesday night game of the season. They have a 1-4-1 record.

Up next

Canucks: Play in Seattle on Saturday.

Jets: Continue their western swing in Anaheim on Friday.