Nikita Chibrikov scored the game-winner in his NHL debut as the host Winnipeg Jets earned their eighth victory in a row, defeating the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Thursday in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Winnipeg’s Cole Perfetti scored twice and Gabriel Vilardi added a goal. Laurent Brossoit made 18 stops for the Jets (52-24-6, 110 points), who will host the opener of their first-round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.
Conor Garland had a goal and an assist and Elias Lindholm also tallied for Vancouver (50-23-9, 109 points), which had gone 3-0-1 in its previous four games. Thatcher Demko turned aside 22 shots for the Canucks, who will host the Nashville Predators to open the postseason on Sunday.
Chibrikov broke a 2-2 tie at 5:18 of the third period. He scored off a quick release after a nice touch pass by Nino Niederreiter in tight.
Perfetti got his second of the game into the empty net off a long shot from the Jets’ defensive zone with 2:05 remaining to seal the outcome.
The Canucks got the first goal of the game 5:22 into the first period when Garland deflected in a puck after a failed clearing attempt by Dylan DeMelo.
Brad Lambert, also making his NHL debut for the Jets, recorded an assist as Winnipeg tied the score at 11:26 of the first.
Lambert dumped the puck in behind the net along the boards after winning a battle, allowing Alex Iafallo to chip the puck up to Vilardi. Showing patience, Vilardi outlasted Demko and popped it into the net.
The Jets got their first lead of the game 55 seconds into the second period. Mason Appleton got ahold of the puck at the red line and found Perfetti in the slot, and he scored glove side.
The Canucks evened the score 2-2 on a power play with 2:49 remaining in the middle frame. Lindholm had the final touch on a bouncing point shot from Quinn Hughes.
–Field Level Media
