By Canadian Press

Connor scores in OT, Jets add to Coyotes’ woes with 4-3 win

Feb 25, 2024 | 8:06 PM

WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor scored 33 seconds into overtime to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 victory on Sunday that extended the Arizona Coyotes’ losing streak to 12 games.

Connor’s second goal of the game came on a 3-on-1 for Winnipeg after two Arizona players fell in the other end of the ice.

Mark Scheifele had a goal and three assists and Gabriel Vilardi recorded one goal an assist for the Jets (36-15-5), who have won three straight and six of their past seven games.

Josh Morrissey contributed three assists and Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves for Winnipeg.

Nick Schmaltz scored twice and Matias Maccelli had one goal for the Coyotes (23-29-5), who are 0-10-2 during their skid and began a five-game road trip.

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Connor Ingram stopped 28 shots for Arizona, which hasn’t defeated the Jets since Nov. 29, 2021.

The Jets led 3-1 after the first period, but goals by Maccelli early in the second and Schmaltz 1:04 into the third tied it up.

The teams scored a combined three power-play goals in the first period.

Scheifele opened the scoring at even strength 2:06 into the first, using a puck that had bounced off the end boards to send a backhand past Ingram.

Schmaltz tied it on the power play at 13:45 off a rebound. Connor then recorded his team-leading 22nd goal of the season one minute later with the man advantage. Vilardi made it 3-1 with a power-play goal at 13:34.

Connor has scored in three straight games and extended his point streak to a season-high five games (four goals, six assists).

Maccelli notched his 10th of the season with a redirection to squeeze the score 3-2 at 6:11 of the second.

Coyotes forward Clayton Keller left the game in the second period and the team announced their leading scorer wouldn’t return because of an upper-body injury.

Schmaltz tied it early in the third after Alex Kerfoot won a puck battle behind Winnipeg’s net and fed the puck to Schmaltz out front.

Ingram stopped quality scoring chances by Nikolaj Ehlers and Vladislav Namestnikov in the final three minutes of regulation. Hellebuyck grabbed a point shot by Sean Durzi with 14 seconds left.

BETTMAN COMING TO TOWN

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is visiting Winnipeg to watch Tuesday’s Jets game against the St. Louis Blues.

He’s holding a press conference with local media two hours before the game, when he’s expected to talk about the Jets’ decreasing season-ticket numbers and address the club’s future viability.

Bettman will then go to ice level and talk to fans, as well as answer some of their questions submitted ahead of time.

NOTES

Jets forward Sean Monahan (illness) didn’t play. … Morrissey has nine assists in a four-game point streak. … Winnipeg has won all four games against the Coyotes this season, and 10 consecutive matches.

UP NEXT

Jets: Host the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

Coyotes: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2024.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press