Top Line Carries Winnipeg Jets to 5-2 Win Over Minnesota Wild

The Winnipeg Jets received the bulk of their offence from their top forward unit Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre, defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-2 to improve to 4-1-1 on the young NHL season. Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti combined for four goals and seven points, powering the Jets past a Wild team that had played the previous evening. Perfetti scored twice, Scheifele recorded his first goal of the season along with two assists, Connor potted his seventh goal in just six games, and Cole Koepke added an insurance marker for his first of the year. The victory gave Winnipeg four wins in its first six games and concluded a three-game homestand on a positive note after the team's first regulation loss of the season. Winnipeg struck less than two minutes into the contest on a goal created by its top line and defence. After Perfetti carried the puck into the Minnesota zone, he left it for Scheifele, who dropped it back to the point for Neal Pionk. Pionk held the puck briefly before sending a shot toward the net that Perfetti tipped past goaltender Cal Pickard at the 1:50 mark. The goal was Perfetti's fourth of the season in just six games — a pace that took him 36 games to reach last season while he worked his way back from an ankle injury. Minnesota answered back at the 8:47 mark of the first period by taking advantage of a costly Winnipeg giveaway. Defenceman Dylan Samberg circled from behind his own net and attempted a pass to partner Dylan DeMelo, but the puck landed in DeMelo's skates and he was unable to control it. Kirill Kaprizov picked up the loose puck, skated in alone on goaltender Stuart Skinner, and after having his first shot turned aside, batted the rebound into the net for a highlight-reel finish. The Jets' star players struck again with 2:06 remaining in the opening frame. Connor skated behind the Wild net with the puck before dropping it off to Pionk along the boards. Pionk circled back above the goal line and delivered a backdoor pass that Scheifele deposited into an open net for his first goal of the season. The lead was short-lived, however, as Kaprizov scored again just 44 seconds later, tipping a Quinn Hughes point shot past Skinner to even the score at 2-2. Minnesota outshot Winnipeg 13-7 in the first period, including a 9-1 advantage over the final 11:43. The score remained deadlocked through most of the middle frame, but a prolonged offensive-zone shift by Winnipeg's second line helped the Jets earn their first power play of the night. After Pionk missed the net, Scheifele collected the puck near the left point and sent it below the goal line to Gabriel Vilardi, who quickly steered it to Perfetti in the slot. Perfetti's snapshot beat Pickard high at the 16:36 mark, giving Winnipeg a 3-2 lead. The Jets outshot the Wild 13-3 in the second period. Winnipeg earned another power play less than a minute later but could not convert. Head coach Scott Arniel credited his team's improved execution in the middle frame, noting that extended shifts in the Minnesota zone wore down the Wild defence. Just over four minutes into the third period, the Jets extended their lead once again through their top players. After Minnesota's Tyler Pitlick fumbled a loose puck in his own end, it rolled to Connor near the point. Connor executed a tight spin to create separation from Pitlick, then loaded up and fired a wrist shot past Pickard for his seventh goal of the season. With just over five minutes remaining, Winnipeg's fourth line provided an insurance goal. Vlad Namestnikov and Koepke were sprung on a 2-on-1, with Namestnikov carrying the puck into the Minnesota zone before sliding it across to Koepke, who wired it past Pickard for his first goal of the season and a 5-2 final. With defenceman Josh Morrissey out of the lineup with an injury for the second consecutive game, Neal Pionk logged nearly 24 minutes of ice time and registered two assists. His vision and puck-moving ability were on full display, particularly on the setup for Scheifele's goal. Arniel praised Pionk's offensive contributions and his ability to quarterback the top power-play unit, while emphasizing the need for all of his players to provide that kind of offensive support. Connor's third-period goal made him just the fourth player in franchise history to score in each of the team's first four home games of a season. His seven goals through the first six games of the campaign have provided the Jets with consistent offensive production from their top line, which has been the driving force behind Winnipeg's strong start to the season. Skinner stopped 19 shots to earn the win, though he only needed to make eight saves over the final two periods against a Wild team that had played the night before and was visibly fatigued. The Jets will now head out on the road for one game, facing the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7 p.m., with pregame coverage on 680 CJOB beginning around 5:15 p.m.