The Winnipeg Jets (30-12-3) defeated the Vancouver Canucks (19-14-10) in a dominating 6-1 thumping in a potential 2025 Stanley Cup Playoff matchup preview.
Kyle Connor got the scoring party started for the game’s first three goals, but each was uniquely different. While Connor led the scoring party, he wasn’t the only player to notch multiple points in this game.
Connor’s first goal was the result of a bad turnover by Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen who Mark Scheifele pressured. Scheifele got the puck up to Gabriel Vilardi who used his time and space to get Connor the puck. Connor, who was alone in front of the net, scored his 24th of the season on a lead-taking wrist shot to put the Jets up 1-0 early in the first period.
The Jets’ penalty kill went to work soon after as Dylan Samberg was called for slashing. The benefit for Winnipeg was their neuralization of the Canucks power play and it even led to a shorthanded breakaway where he tried a backhand move, although Lankinen denied Lowry on a poke check.
Later in the frame, Kyle Connor found the rebound in front of the net for his 25th of the season and second of the game to put the Jets up 2-0.
The play unfolded as Connor passed the puck to Vilardi, who dropped the puck back to Neal Pionk who got a shot off Lankinen where Vilardi picked up the rebound and got the puck to Connor who scored on his backhand.
Not too long after Connor’s second goal, he completed the natural hat trick for his fourth career NHL hat trick to put the Jets up 3-0 on his 26th goal of the season.
“Just kind of being in the right spot, especially early. You know, we’ve had nights where we’re hitting posts and they’re not going your way, so it was one of those nights that you can bear a couple.” Kyle Connor said about the game, his three goals, and more.
For his third primary assist of the game, Vilardi fed Connor with a great pass in the neutral zone where Connor was able to break free and get on the breakaway and deke Lankinen for his natural hat trick goal.
The first period ended 3-0, but the Jets did not take their foot off the gas in the second period.
“Pretty impressive,” head coach Scott Arniel said when asked about Kyle Connor’s three goals and the team’s overall start.
“We had talked a couple of weeks ago about our starts and we’ve been a lot better at it and I thought we did that tonight as a group,” Arniel added.
Nino Niederreiter dumped the puck deep into the Canucks zone, Cole Perfetti beat Quinn Hughes to the puck and got the pass off to Neal Pionk who rifled a slap shot home to extend the Jets’ lead to 4-0.
As the period was winding down, Niederreiter put the Jets up 5-0 on a wrist shot goal. Cole Perfetti’s assist on the goal was his 100th career NHL point.
“Last year he (Perfetti) went through a tough stretch where he’s having a tough time whether it was scoring or getting points and it felt like he was getting farther away from the net,” Scott Arniel said when asked about Perfetti’s drive and two assist performance.
“He’s staying in the fight. He’s winning a lot of his one-on-one confrontations or battles and he’s making plays and getting in there. That’s where he’s at his best,” Arniel added.
A quick play on the wall led to the Jets getting two shots off in short succession and ultimately, Niederreiter picked up the rebound and extended Winnipeg’s lead.
The scoreless power play came to an end in the third period as Mark Scheifele extended his scoring streak to three games and his point streak to six games with a power play goal. Winnipeg’s commanding 6-0 lead over the Canucks.
Connor’s shot from the point sprung loose, but Nikolaj Ehlers quickly retrieved the puck and fed Mark Scheifele who beat Lankinen with the snapshot.
Vancouver answered Winnipeg’s goal on a bobbled puck just above the blue line in the neutral zone which gave Nils Hoglander enough time and space to rifle a shot just short side of Connor Hellebuyck, ending the shutout bid for this game.
The Winnipeg Jets picked up the 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks to become the first team to 30 wins in the 2024-25 season.
Notable Statistics
- Six Winnipeg Jets players notched multi-point games
- Gabriel Vilardi netted three primary assists
- Kyle Connor led the Jets in scoring with four points (3G, 1A)
- Nino Niederreiter led the Jets in shots on goal with seven
- Connor Hellebuyck stopped 23 of 24 shots he faced against Vancouver
- Dylan DeMelo led the Jets in hits with five
- The Winnipeg Jets’ first line of Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi combined for nine points
- Cole Perfetti recorded his 100th career NHL point
What’s Next?
The Vancouver Canucks are at home on Thursday, January 16th when they host the Los Angeles Kings. The Winnipeg Jets continue their extended homestand on the same day as they welcome the Seattle Kraken for game seven of eight on this stretch.
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