At some point, the Winnipeg Jets are going to need some consistent depth scoring.
asserted
Jets → go → scoring
But if their top line can keep firing on all cylinders, they’re going to win a decent number of hockey games, such as Tuesday night in Winnipeg when Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti supplied most of the offence in a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild.
asserted
Connor → keep → Wild
After Perfetti entered the Minnesota zone with the puck, he left it for Scheifele who then dropped it back to the point for Neal Pionk.
asserted
who → enter → Pionk
Pionk held it for a moment before sending a shot on goal that was tipped en route by Perfetti and past Cal Pickard at the 1:50 mark.
asserted
that → hold → mark
It took him 36 games to hit that mark last season as he worked his way back from an ankle injury.
asserted
he → take → injury
But the Wild answered back at the 8:47 mark, taking advantage of a bad giveaway.
asserted
Wild → answer → giveaway
As Dylan Samberg circled from behind his own net with the puck, he tried to pass it to his partner, Dylan DeMelo.
asserted
he → circle → partner
The pass was not a good one, landing in DeMelo’s skates and he was unable to corral it before Kirill Kaprizov picked it up.
asserted
Kaprizov → land → it
He skated in alone on Stuart Skinner, who turned aside Kaprizov’s first shot before the Russian star batted the rebound into the net, a highlight-reel finish to a disastrous play from Winnipeg’s back end.
asserted
star → skate → end
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Winnipeg’s star players cashed in again with 2:06 left in the first.
asserted
players → get → first
Connor skated behind the Wild net with the puck and along the boards before dropping it off to Pionk.
asserted
Connor → skate → Pionk
Pionk then skated back around the net the other way, taking the puck above the goal line before sending a perfect backdoor pass that Scheifele deposited into an open net for his first of the season.
asserted
Scheifele → skate → season
The lead was short-lived, however, as Kaprizov scored again 44 seconds later when he tipped a Quinn Hughes point shot past Skinner.
asserted
he → live → Skinner
Minnesota wound up outshooting the Jets 13-7 in the first, including 9-1 over the final 11:43.
asserted
Minnesota → wind → 11:43
The score stayed deadlocked 2-2 for most of the second period but a long o-zone shift by the second line helped Winnipeg earn their first power play of the night, and they took full advantage.
asserted
they → stay → advantage
After Pionk missed the net, Scheifele collected the puck near the left point.
asserted
Scheifele → miss → point
He sent the puck below the goal line to Gabriel Vilardi, who quickly steered the puck to Perfetti in the slot for a snapshot that beat Pickard high at the 16:36 mark.
asserted
that → send → mark
It took 40 games for Perfetti to score five goals last season.
asserted
Perfetti → take → goals
Winnipeg earned another power play less than a minute later as Isak Rosen was held during a strong net drive but the Jets couldn’t cash in on the ensuing advantage.
asserted
Jets → earn → advantage
Just over four minutes into the third period, the Jets extended their lead, once again thanks to their stars.
asserted
Jets → extend → stars
Tyler Pitlick had a chance to control a loose puck in his own end but he fumbled it, allowing it to roll to the stick of Connor near the point.
asserted
it → have → point
He skated to his right to try and get away from Pitlick, which he was able to do after executing a tight spin with the puck.
asserted
he → skate → puck
That left Connor with a lot of space in the slot, which he used to load up and rocket a wrist shot past Pickard for his seventh goal of the season.
asserted
he → leave → season
With just over five minutes to go, the Jets got an insurance goal from their fourth line.
asserted
Jets → go → line
Vlad Namestnikov and Cole 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 a sliding Pickard to make it 5-2 with his first of the season.
asserted
it → spring → 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.
asserted
that → stop → team
The Jets will head out on the road for one game, in Chicago Thursday night.
asserted
Jets → head → Chicago
Puck drop is just after 7 p.m. with pregame coverage on 680 CJOB starting around 5:15 p.m.
asserted
coverage → start → p.m.
The Aporia
