WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor was glad he and the Winnipeg Jets got some puck luck on Tuesday.
Connor scored a natural hat trick in the first period to spark the Jets to a 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
“We’ve had those nights, like the other night, where we’re hitting posts and they’re not going in,” Connor said. “So just one of those nights where I was able to bury a couple.”
The left-winger’s sixth career hat trick came in a span of 6:38, making it the third fastest in Jets-Thrashers' history.
He couldn’t recall ever scoring three goals that quick.
“You’re the recipient of a nice pass on the first one from Gabe (Vilardi), and then the next, just kind of being in the right spot, where the bounces just seem to be going the right way, especially early,” Connor said.
He also had an assist, helping Winnipeg boost its point streak to four games (3-0-1) in front of 14,050 fans at Canada Life Centre.
Mark Scheifele, Neal Pionk and Nino Niederreitter each had a goal and assist for the Jets (30-12-3), who are the first team to hit 30 wins this season and moved into top spot in the NHL's Western Conference.
Vilardi recorded three assists and Cole Perfetti added a pair to give him 100 NHL career points.
Connor’s hat trick went into the franchise record books behind two former Jets. Blake Wheeler scored three goals in a span of 4:20 in 2017, while Sean Monahan notched his in 5:17 last February.
“He obviously has a very high ability to score goals and he’s got that knack for it,” Perfetti said of Connor. “When he gets those chances he doesn’t get excited or anything. He’s just calm and collected.
“His shot is unbelievable. Like tonight, you see he has the shots, the breakaways, the nice hands, the rebounds, the nice catch on his forehand and backhand, stuff like that. He can just score in so many different ways. It’s a treat to watch.”
Connor’s second and third goals were scored 36 seconds apart.
“A 1-0 game, they’re still in it,” Perfetti said. “But when KC scores a second and third that fast, it is really deflating for them, and we just took over from there. It was a good boost for the group.”
Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves to pick up his league-leading 27th win of the season for Winnipeg, which is 3-1-2 in its season-long, eight-game homestand.
Nils Hoglander scored a third-period goal for the Canucks (19-14-10), who finished a five-game road trip going 1-2-2. Kevin Lankinen stopped 27 shots for Vancouver.
“Obviously not ready to play,” said Canucks forward Conor Garland. “Disappointed not to get one on the power (play) there when they were up 2-0.
“ … That third one goes (in) and that kind of hurts. They’re too good of a team to give them a lead like that, so it’s a tough lead to give them.”
Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet said he didn't mind his team’s start.
“We had some pucks, we're getting pucks deflected, we're getting people taking the puck to the interior, we're just missing early,” he said.
“And then all of a sudden, bang-bang, miscommunication, we don't reload properly. And then obviously the last half of the game, a little bit of fumbling around. But yeah, it's a good hockey team, they skate well, very good. That’s a fast team."
A mistake by Lankinen led to Connor’s first goal at 6:59.
The goalie went behind the net to get the puck, but sent it to Vilardi in the corner and he passed it to Connor out front before Lankinen could get back in position.
Connor scored his second goal with a backhand off a rebound at 13:01, then deked and put the puck past Lankinen 36 seconds later to make it 3-0 with his 26th goal of the season.
Pionk scored 39 seconds into the second frame with a blast from the point after a Vancouver turnover. Niederreitter made it 5-0 at 15:06 and Scheifele notched his 26th of the season on the power play 1:31 into the third period.
Hoglander ended the shutout bid when he got the puck off Jets' defenceman Logan Stanley and beat Hellebuyck at 9:16.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2025.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
