The Winnipeg Jets did something Thursday that no other team had done this NHL season: score three times on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Unfortunately, their league-worst goals against average didn’t get any better in a 5-3 loss that drops the Jets to 1-3 and improves the record of the defending Stanley Cup champions to a perfect 5-0.
Vegas had five different goal scorers with Oakbank’s Brett Howden scoring his first goal of the season and Winnipeg’s Mark Stone recording two assists to help sink their hometown team.
Former Brandon Wheat Kings goalie Logan Thompson made several highlight reel stops and finished the night with 36 saves.
Alex Iafallo scored twice and had several other dangerous chances, while Cole Perfetti notched the other marker for Winnipeg.
The Jets tied the game in the final frame, but the Golden Knights scored on a power play with just over four minutes left and then added another into the empty net as the Jets finished the three-game homestand with just a single win.
“The end result stings,” said head coach Rick Bowness. “That was a great third period. Give their goalie a lot of credit. He made all those key saves.
“We just can’t keep giving up four or five goals a game. We’re not going to win until we stop that, which means we got to clean up our zone. Our turnovers in our zone are really costing us.”
Mark Scheifele had his season-opening three-game goal streak come to an end, but he did record an assist to extend his point streak to four games.
It was Iafallo’s eighth career multi-goal game.
“We’re just going to stay positive,” said Iafallo. “I feel like we’re doing a lot of good things. Clean up some mistakes, but at the same time, we’re just going to keep climbing, climbing that mountain, and getting better.”
Vegas was a perfect two-for-two on the power play.
After a poor second period, the Jets outshot the Golden Knights 20-9 in the third period.
“We like a lot of what we’re seeing,” said Bowness. “I wasn’t happy with the second period tonight, but we got out of it and we’re one shot down.”
But the Jets have allowed at least five goals in three of their first four games.
“Soft plays at the wrong time,” Bowness said. “We’re playing the Stanley Cup champions. They’re big, they’re strong, they’re aggressive and we’re making soft plays. We’re shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Bowness made some pretty significant changes after going with the same lineup for the first three games, some by necessity, and some by choice. David Gustafsson made his season debut for the injured Gabriel Vilardi. Nate Schmidt was a healthy scratch as Logan Stanley dressed for the first time this season on the blueline.
All four forward lines had a new look with Vladislav Namestnikov getting moved up onto the second line between Perfetti and Nikolaj Ehlers.
“They were moving the puck really well,” said Bowness. “We got to do a better job in the faceoffs with that line. They were getting killed in the faceoff circle.
“They’re not the biggest guys, but if they use their speed and their creativity and they use each other. Yeah, that line looked good.”
After getting trounced by the Kings Tuesday night, the Jets wasted no time getting on the board in this one.
Josh Morrissey skated the puck into the Vegas zone and sent a seemingly harmless shot on goal, but Thompson gave up a juicy rebound that landed right on the stick of Iafallo, who buried it past Thompson to open the scoring just 90 seconds in.
The Jets were the stronger team to start but as the period wore on, the Golden Knights began to get their footing as they played their first game outside of the Pacific time zone this season.
Vegas earned the first power play of the game when Stanley was called for high-sticking.
The Golden Knights took advantage when Jonathan Marchessault’s one-timer from the slot beat Laurent Brossoit with 2:18 to go in the opening frame.
Winnipeg nearly regained the lead in the final minute as Perfetti tried to bury a rebound from just outside the crease, reminiscent of the Jets’ first goal of the night. But this time, Thompson made a spectacular save, using his paddle to block it away and keep the game tied through 20 minutes.
The Jets held a 12-10 edge in shots after one but Vegas grabbed the lead early in the second.
Dylan DeMelo turned the puck over at the Winnipeg blue line, allowing an odd-man rush for Vegas. Stone slid the puck to Howden as he charged towards the net and the Oakbank native steered it into a yawning cage to put Vegas ahead just 49 seconds in to the period.
It remained 2-1 until the 15:27 mark of the frame when the Knights won numerous puck battles in the Winnipeg end, leading to an Alec Martinez goal that extended the lead.
The Jets needed a spark and they got it less than a minute later. Namestnikov made a nice move in the slot before he slid the puck to Perfetti, who deposited it past Thompson to cut the lead in half through 40 minutes.
Winnipeg nearly got the equalizer early in the third but again Thompson took a goal away when he made a sprawling blocker save in desperation to deny Iafallo on the doorstep.
With just under nine minutes left, the Jets were given a second power play of the night thanks to a very questionable holding call on Ivan Barbashev and they cashed in immediately.
Ehlers sent the puck to the corner where Scheifele found Iafallo parked in the slot and this time he buried it past Thompson for his second of the night to even the score.
But with 5:44 to go, Iafallo was called for slashing, giving Vegas a great chance to regain the lead and they made no mistake.
Mason Appleton nearly got to a loose puck to clear it but as he dove to knock it out of the zone, Stone tied up his stick to ensure he couldn’t get to it.
Moments later, Jack Eichel roofed one over Brossoit’s shoulder to put Vegas back in front as the crowd booed what they thought was a missed call.
Any late Winnipeg push was squashed when Nicolas Roy scored an empty-netter with 64 seconds to go.
Thompson was the difference in the game, while Brossoit stopped 22 shots in his first start of the season.
The Jets will now head to Edmonton for a date with the Oilers Saturday night, who are also off to a 1-3 start.
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