Connor scores twice as Winnipeg Jets beat Canadiens 4-1


Kyle Connor scored twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves as the Winnipeg Jets won their fourth in a row, 4-1 over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

Mark Scheifele also scored and Rasmus Kupari added an empty-net goal. Gabriel Vilardi provided two assists.

Juraj Slafkovsky gave Montreal an early lead and Sam Montembeault stopped 20 shots, but the Canadiens lost their third consecutive game after winning 10 of their previous 13.

Slafkovsky opened the scoring at 11:03 of the first period when he buried a behind-the-net feed from Nick Suzuki.

A goalie pushes a puck away with one of his legs with another player in front of him.
Connor Hellebuyck makes a save against Montreal Canadiens’ Josh Anderson during the third period. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

Connor evened the score at 15:36 of the first before Scheifele gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead in the second.

Connor added his second with two seconds remaining in the middle period.

Takeaways:

  • Jets: Connor and Scheifele both moved to 29 goals for the season, tying for second-best in the league. Hellebuyck, the favourite to win his third Vezina Trophy, earned his NHL-leading 31st win of the season.

  • Canadiens: Jumped to a hot start and scored first, but let the Jets back in the game late in the first and during the second period. On top of the loss, Montreal defenceman Kaiden Guhle injured his leg from an awkward fall into the boards during the third period and did not return.

Key moment: Connor’s second goal was a back breaker that beat Montembeault from the slot to give the Jets a 3-1 lead.

Key stat: Despite the loss, Montreal held Winnipeg’s league-best power play off the board. The Jets, who were scoring at a 33.3% clip this season, went 0 for 3 on the night.

Up next:

  • Jets: Continue their three-game road trip on Thursday night against the Boston Bruins.
  • Canadiens: Host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night to conclude a three-game homestand.



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