- Kyle Connor scored twice on the power play as the Jets beat the Red Wings 3-2
- Detroit is 0-2 and needed nearly 97 minutes to score its first goal of the season
- Read below for video of Connor’s second goal and Detroit’s late push
Kyle Connor did his damage with the man advantage on Sunday.
The Jets winger scored two power-play goals and added an assist as Winnipeg held on for a 3-2 win over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. It was the first win of the season for the Jets, who dropped their home opener 4-3 in overtime to the Bruins on Friday.
Winnipeg’s power play struck twice in 1:32 late in the first period. Cole Perfetti opened the scoring at 13:04 when a Justin Faulk deflection popped off him and over John Gibson.
Connor followed at 14:36. He took a feed from Gabe Vilardi above the right circle, drove the net and lifted a backhand over Gibson’s left shoulder.
His second came 5:41 into the middle frame. Gibson stopped a Josh Morrissey slap shot, and Connor buried the rebound from the right circle to make it 3-0.
Watch Connor’s second power-play goal:
That gives the 29-year-old three goals and five points through two games, with all three goals coming on the power play. Connor now has 326 career goals, every one of them in a Jets sweater.
Perfetti finished with a goal and two assists. His secondary helper on Connor’s first goal was the 100th assist of his NHL career.
Detroit, meanwhile, is still looking for its first win. Rangers goalie Dylan Garand shut out the Red Wings 2-0 in their home opener Friday, and the drought carried deep into Sunday afternoon.
Viktor Arvidsson finally broke it on the power play at 16:52 of the second, when Andrew Copp’s feed went in off his left skate. It was his first goal as a Red Wing and Detroit’s first of the season, nearly 97 minutes into the schedule.
Take a look at Arvidsson’s goal:
Emmitt Finnie made it a one-goal game at 4:56 of the third, tapping in a Michael Brandsegg-Nygard pass from behind the net with Stuart Skinner out of position.
Catch Finnie’s goal:
Skinner shut the door from there. The goalie, who signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal with Winnipeg on July 1, stopped Lucas Raymond twice in tight with 26 seconds left and finished with 33 saves for his first win as a Jet.
Rookie Tyrel Bauer also made a statement for Winnipeg, dropping Keegan Kolesar for his second fight in as many games.
Through two games, Connor has found the net in both.
