Jets’ Connor ends his goalless drought with overtime winner against Canadiens
Kyle Connor #KyleConnor
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Publishing date:
Nov 03, 2022 • 16 minutes ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation 
Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) slides into Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) after his first-period goal. USA Today Sports Article content
At some point, the snakebitten metaphor that was weighing heavily on Kyle Connor’s shoulders was going to need a new name.
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His goalless streak had reached eight games coming into Thursday night’s matchup with the Montreal Canadiens. He had peppered opposing goalies with 29 shots and added a further five more in regulation against the Habs at Canada Life Centre.
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It seemed like the same ol’ song and dance. Then 1:45 of overtime came.
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After nearly helping end it on a cross-ice pass to Mark Scheifele moments earlier, Scheifele returned the favour to allow Connor some space with which he could work as the Jets regrouped in Montreal’s zone. This time — his 35th shot since sliding one into an empty net in Winnipeg’s home opener three weeks ago — the rubber met the twine.
The win helped the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 win, their fourth win in their past five outings, and pushed their record to 6-3-1 in their first 10-game stint of the season.
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“Sometimes it comes in bunches,” a hopeful Connor said post-game. “I’m just going to keep playing, keep trying to improve and get better every game. Hopefully can get on a little stretch here.
Connor set a Jets 2.0 record last season with 47 goals and 93 points.
“It was a goal scorer’s goal — off the far post and in,” said Jets head coach Rick Bowness, back behind the bench for Thursday’s game after a long layoff due to COVID-19. “That’s perseverance. Just stay with it.”
For Connor, getting through the drought meant leaning on his teammates.
“Honestly, a lot of credit to our team this year,” Connor said. “Everybody across the room. We’ve got such a good group, and build each other up in situations where guys are dealing with that.
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“For me, I just lean on them a lot. It starts with our leaders, Blake (Wheeler) was the first guy off the bench hugging me. He couldn’t be more excited. That’s just the type of character we have in this room. It’s good to be able to lean on those guys in situations like that.”
More importantly than Connor snapping the skid was Winnipeg returning to a brand of hockey that didn’t include them chasing their own tails for the evening’s entirety.
While the Jets bagged five of a possible six points on their three-game road trip last week, they did so while throwing Bowness’ teachings to the wind.
There was plenty of talk in the buildup to Thursday’s tilt that while the Jets won, it was down to luck and the heroics of Connor Hellebuyck rather than playing the game the way Bowness would like.
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With Bowness behind the bench for just the second time in 10 games to start the season, the Jets were intent on getting their structure back.
And that they did.
Winnipeg was tested early as Nick Suzuki turnstiled Dylan DeMelo and tucked in his sixth of the season past Hellebuyck at 6:43 of the first.
The Jets stuck with it and were rewarded by Pierre-Luc Dubois’ fourth of the year on the power play as Connor set up the Montreal-born centre at 17:28.
Dubois was a force to be reckoned with throughout the night.
The 24-year-old got into a tussle with Montreal’s Sean Monahan in the second period. Monahan nearly drilled Dubois and the latter took exception, going back at him with a high elbow that narrowly missed.
Dubois, who has been the subject of much speculation on a future move to his hometown club, looked like he wanted no part of it. Everyone on the ice was a potential victim.
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“I loved his game. He was really good,” Bowness said. “He should have got more minutes. I should have given him more minutes. The power plays, then the penalty kill — he played an outstanding game.
“He’s a force out there when he’s going like that. I love the way he takes the puck into the zone and hangs onto it and buys time. He’s big and strong enough to protect the puck. He had an outstanding game.”
After Kirby Dach gave Montreal their second lead of the night at 4:54 of the middle frame, it was Dubois who set up former captain Wheeler for his third of the season.
The goal created a stir, with Habs head coach Martin St. Louis challenging for goaltender interference as Wheeler battled in with Habs starter Sam Montembeault in the crease.
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The replay suggested a slight push from behind by former Jets defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic on Wheeler, and the challenge was short-lived, with the NHL’s Situation Room determining a good goal was the correct call on the ice.
“The guy is allowed to go in to get the puck,” Bowness said. “I know it’s a close call. If there is a loose puck there, you want your forwards crashing the net. We talked about that before, getting greasy goals and getting in there. When you do that you run the risk of getting a goalie interference. We were confident that was a good goal.”
Montembeault was brilliant in the Montreal net, making 33 saves — many of which were off Grade-A Jets chances, including perhaps his biggest stop of the night off Scheifele’s one-timer in the extra frame.
Hellebuyck, who was coming off a 46-save overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, had a quieter night between the pipes at the other end.
The 2019-20 Vezina winner stopped 20 of the 22 shots Montreal sent his way, including a pair that were sent his way on Montreal’s two power plays.
The Jets went 1-for-5 on the man advantage themselves.
Winnipeg is back in action on Saturday, with a matinee date with the Chicago Blackhawks. Puck drop is slated for 2 p.m.
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