For the first time since Dec. 4, 2018, the Winnipeg Jets defeated the New York Islanders.
The Jets snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Isles Tuesday night, downing New York 4-2 in Kyle Connor’s return from a 16-game absence with a knee injury.
The win also ended the Isles four-game win streak in Winnipeg as the Jets bounced back after having their franchise record win streak halted in their last outing.
“Big win tonight,” said Mason Appleton who ended a 25-game goal-scoring drought. “When you go on such a long win streak and then you drop one game, you want to get right back to your winning ways.
“We found a way to win tonight and are back on the right track.”
Gabriel Vilardi, Neal Pionk and Connor scored the other goals for Winnipeg.
The Jets haven’t lost back-to-back games going all the way back to November 30.
“We played well,” said head coach Rick Bowness. “I think we can be sharper. I think we’re giving up a few too many shots and so I think we can be sharper.
“But listen, we played hard and that’s a good team over there.”
The Jets have now gone 33 straight games without allowing four goals in a game, including the last 13 in a row where they’ve allowed two goals or less which is the ninth longest streak of it’s kind in NHL history.
In his first game back from injury, Connor skated on the top line alongside Vilardi and Adam Lowry. He scored a goal into an empty net for his team-leading 18th of the season. He recorded six shots on goal in a little over 19 minutes of ice time and had a couple dangerous chances.
“He was impressive,” Bowness said. “He was a threat with the puck every time. He’s tough to defend when he does those cutbacks and everything. You give him the puck and something good is going to happen.
“Give him credit cause again, most guys take two or three games to get their timing and their reads and everything. He just stepped in there tonight like he hadn’t missed 16 games.”
Winnipeg got on the board just past the midway point of the first thanks to a greasy goal from Vilardi. Josh Morrissey’s point shot was tipped in front by Lowry, with the puck then bouncing off Vilardi and trickling past Ilya Sorokin for his 11th of the season.
The Islanders would answer a few minutes later, right as a penalty to Dylan DeMelo expired. Mike Reilly’s point shot was heading wide but, thanks to some great stickwork by New York captain Anders Lee, it was redirected past Connor Hellebuyck to make it 1-1 with 4:07 left in the opening frame.
After Winnipeg’s first power play of the night came and went, the first period ended with the score tied 1-1 and the Jets in front 13-11 in shots on goal.
It stayed tied well into the second as each team failed on a power play and each goalie stood tall but it was a tough break for Sorokin that helped the Jets regain the lead.
With the Jets on their third power play of the night, a shot from Cole Perfetti knocked the blade out of Sorokin’s right skate, rendering him unable to push off with that foot. As he squirmed around the crease, the Jets cycled the puck before Perfetti sent a cross-ice pass to Pionk who fired it into an open net with Sorokin unable to get across.
The Jets got a fourth power play moments later and couldn’t cash in, but not long after it expired, they expanded their lead.
After Sorokin stopped a shot from in close, the puck bounced around and was heading to the corner but Appleton got a stick on it below the goal line and banked it off the pad of Sorokin for his 7th of the season and first since Nov. 18.
Connor nearly got in on the fun when a dump-in took a funky bounce off the boards and rolled into the slot where Connor got it on his backhand, but he chose to get it to his forehand before shooting it just wide of the net.
Winnipeg outshot the Islanders 18-13 in the second, bringing the two-period total to 31-26 in their favour.
But on their first shot of the third, New York cut the lead to one with their captain coming through again. After a battle in the corner below the Winnipeg goal line, the puck found its way to Lee behind the net. As he made his way towards the crease, he faked a pass in front, opening up just enough space to fire it off Hellebuyck’s torso and into the net just 35 seconds into the period.
Both goalies who finished as Vezina finalists to Linus Ullmark last season continued to stand tall as the third period rolled along with Winnipeg clinging to a one-goal lead.
A fifth power play for the Jets with just over four minutes failed to provide an insurance goal, giving the Islanders a chance to pull Sorokin and put on a push to tie it. But Connor stole the puck from the Islanders at the Jets blue line and skated in alone to ice the game into the empty net.
Hellebuyck finished with 36 saves in the win, while Sorokin was saddled with the loss despite turning aside 40 shots.
The Jets will now have a bit of time off before hitting the road for their next game in Ottawa on Saturday.