Winnipeg Jets end regular season on high note, beating Maple Leafs 4-2
Engvall #Engvall
The Winnipeg Jets ended the regular season with a hard-fought 4-2 win over the first place Toronto Maple Leafs Friday night and now shift their focus to the first round of the playoffs, beginning Wednesday in Edmonton.
Pierre Engvall opened the scoring for the Leafs just past the seven-minute mark, getting a step on a back-checking Pierre-Luc Dubois and ripped a wrist shot through Connor Hellebuyck’s five-hole.
Engvall has been on a tear recently, scoring four goals in his past five games and currently has seven on the season.
Dominic Toninato joined the Jets lineup for a rare appearance on the third line beside Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton. The 27-year-old was drafted by the Maple Leafs back in 2012 and has played only two games for the Jets this season after appearing in 46 last season with the Florida Panthers.
Less than 90 seconds into the middle frame, Morgan Rielly did exactly what every defenceman is taught never to do; skate the puck in front of your own net and try to stickhandle around forecheckers. Adam Lowry knocked the puck loose and Toninato followed up, sending the puck toward the net for a waiting Mason Appleton. The Wisconsin product grabbed the rolling puck and roofed it up and over Jack Campbell for his 12th of the season to even the score. Unfortunately for the Jets, the even score didn’t last long.
The Maple Leafs took back the lead just after the five-minute mark following sustained offensive zone pressure which hemmed the Jets in their own end. Alex Kerfoot grabbed a loose puck and fed it to Jake Muzzin on the point. Ilya Mikheyev tipped the point shot from Muzzin and then grabbed his own rebound for an easy tap in and his seventh of the year.
Kyle Connor scored 25 goals for the fourth straight season after a perfect pass from Mark Scheifele on a two-on-one midway through the second period. Scheifele fed the pass across just before T.J. Brodie laid his stick on the ice, leaving Connor all alone easily faking out Campbell to even the score. The tying goal is Connor’s third goal in three games after going the previous eight games without a point.
Connor found the back of the net once again following a clean faceoff win in the Toronto zone and a crisp set up pass from Blake Wheeler. About a minute after Hellebuyck slammed the door on Auston Matthews, the Jets took the lead as their top line stays hot with all three forwards picking up a point on Connor’s 26th of the year. Scheifele picked up his second and team-leading 42nd assist on the go-ahead goal.
Veteran centreman Paul Stastny left the game early in the first period after a seemingly routine check from Leafs defenceman Justin Holl. Stastny laboured off the ice and stayed on the bench for about a minute before heading down the tunnel to the dressing room to be evaluated. He returned to the bench shortly after the Leafs’ opening goal.
Hellebuyck maintains the title of most shots faced this season, passing 1300 during the final regular season game.
With about seven minutes left in the third, Dubois left the game and headed down the tunnel.
Jansen Harkins outskated Wayne Simmonds for the rolling puck and tucked in the insurance goal to cement the 4-2 victory.
As Winnipeg gears up for the playoffs, the Jets are hopeful for a speedy return for Nikolaj Ehlers who skated this morning in a yellow non-contact jersey. The Dane has missed the past 16 games
Winnipeg ends the regular season with a record of 30-23-3 and will face the Oilers in Edmonton at 8 p.m. on Wednesday in Game 1 of their first-round series.