Jets’ road woes continue with 5-3 loss to Kraken

SEATTLE – One step forward, one step back.

The Winnipeg Jets built a one-goal cushion over two periods, but couldn’t close it out, allowing three goals in the third period – including one into the empty net – to lose 5-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night at Climate Pledge Arena.

Rather than build on Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks, the Jets clearly recognize there is still plenty of work to be done when it comes to the structural breakdowns that have been more prevalent than expected during the first quarter of this NHL season.

The Jets, who slipped to 10-7 on the season, have won just once on this six-game road trip (1-4), which wraps up on Saturday night in Calgary against the Flames.

Let’s take a look at what else took place in this one:

PP SLUMP BUSTER

The power-play drought is over for Jets left-winger Kyle Connor.

The Winnipeg Jets’ sniper went 62 games during the regular season, plus another 13 during the Stanley Cup playoffs, before finding the back of the net on the man-advantage.

But when he finally cracked the code, the goal was a meaningful one as it proved to be the go-ahead goal late in the second period.

Connor’s last power-play marker was scored on Dec. 23 of 2024 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and was his ninth on the man-advantage last season.

Going that long between power-play goals was one of the strangest stats in the NHL, but Jets head coach Scott Arniel said recently that it wasn’t any cause for concern, as Connor had transitioned to more of a playmaker since most teams were shading to his side and trying to limit the number of one-timers for him.

After the Jets had an extended amount of zone time late in the second period, Josh Morrissey fed Connor for one of those patented one-timers and it beat Philip Grubauer.

It had been a relatively quiet game for Connor up to that point, but he showed great hustle to win a race for a loose puck with Kraken defenceman Vince Dunn, who took a hooking minor that prevented a shorthanded scoring chance for the Jets left-winger.

Once the brief four-on-four situation wrapped up, the Jets got to work on the power play and Connor cashed in for his 10th goal of the season.

THE RETURN III

After watching captain Adam Lowry and fellow forward Cole Perfetti make their respective returns earlier on this lengthy road trip, defenceman Dylan Samberg made his season debut tonight.

Skating on the second pairing with regular partner Neal Pionk, Samberg showed the traits that made him an elite shutdown defender last season.

Samberg made a smart defensive read to break up a play, allowing Pionk to spring Mark Scheifele for a breakaway goal that made it 2-1 for the Jets.

Samberg was strong in his return, taking 27 shifts for 23:04 of ice time, recording two shots on goal, two hits and two blocked shots.

THE RETURN IV

Another player jumping back into the lineup for the Jets was winger Gustav Nyquist, who missed five games with a lower-body issue he sustained in the first period of a game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The unfortunate thing for Nyquist was that he was playing some of his best hockey prior to the injury.

“Again, another new guy trying not to make a mistake, trying to just get a feel for just being here on a new team and all of that,” said Arniel. “That was early on and as the games got a little bit longer, with a few more games under his belt, he started to play that high skilled, high tempo kind of pace game. That poise on the power play, the little details and the subtle little plays that he makes in traffic. Those are the things that we’re hoping to see.

“Now that he’s got the structure and our systems down, he can go out and play a little more freely.”

Nyquist was ued mostly on the fourth line, skating alongside Parker Ford and Tanner Pearson.

The expectation was that Nyquist would be used in the middle-six forward group, but the hot start from Vladislav Namestnikov may have altered that plan somewhat, at least for the time being.

THE KEY PLAY

Kraken captain Jordan Eberle found an opening on the backdoor and converted a pass from Matty Beniers for the game-winner.

THE THREE STARS

1. Vince Dunn, Kraken, Scored a goal, added two assists.

2. Jordan Eberle, Kraken, Scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner.

3. Mark Scheifele, Jets, Scored once, added an assist.

EXTRA, EXTRA

Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey extended his point streak to four games by chipping in an assist. He’s up to 15 points in his past 10 games and has 17 in 17 games this season.

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made his 13th start of the season and allowed four goals on 17 shots on goal.

The Jets healthy scratches were defenceman Luke Schenn and forwards Brad Lambert and Nikita Chibrikov.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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