2 weeks Ago By Gordon Anderson
Winnipeg’s dynamic duo waited until the third period to bust the game open for the Jets. Mark Scheifele set up both the game-tying goal and game winner and Kyle Connor blasted home the deciding marker as the Winnipeg Jets beat the St. Louis Blues 5-3 on Saturday night.
“Connor is absolutely fantastic,” Scheifele said. “He’s a real pleasure to play with. I’ve said it many times, I’m lucky to have spent as much time with him as I have.
” Connor and Scheifele ended up with one goal and two assists each. “It was another fun night playing with him,” Scheifele said. The game winning goal was a bit of sublime work from the Jets top centreman as he carried the puck from low to high before dishing a cross-seam pass to his longtime linemate, the Jets goal scoring leader from the regular season blasting the puck behind Jordan Binnington at 18:24.
“Connor has got such a deceptive release,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said. “He gets his shot off in traffic, he’s able to get separation when it seems like there’s not a lot of space. Scheifele is so cerebral that he’s able to buy time.
You look at that play where they’re able to just find a seam.” Lowry marvels at the way both players can play the game at such a high level, setting each other up for gilt-edged chances on a consistent basis using ingenuity and intelligent offensive play. “I think they read off each other so well, they’re so dynamic together, and then their space is incredible,” Lowry said.
“They don’t crowd each other in the (offensive) zone, but they always seem to have that tight support whenever they need an out. It was great to see them rewarded.” Lowry iced the game with an empty-net goal at 19:07.
Courtesy of his three-point game Scheifele is now the Jets/Thrashers all-time playoff point getter with 41 points. The Kitchener, Ont., native tied Blake Wheeler with his first-period power-play goal and assumed the lead when he grabbed the primary assist on Alex Iafallo’s third period equalizer at 9:18.
Wheeler netted 39 points in his Jets career. “That’s one thing about the best players or the top players, especially offensive guys, they have a knack for finding holes,” head coach Scott Arniel said. “I thought Connor had a lot of puck possession in the second period, he just didn’t get that shot off a few times.
” Fast feet, fine hands: Ehlers, Vilardi, AWOL from Jets playoff lineupA roaring start: Jets rally with three goals in the third to win 5-3 over the St. Louis Blues.
