Cole Perfetti’s power-play goal broke a third-period tie as the Winnipeg Jets continued their perfect season with a 5-3 road victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
The Jets are the ninth team in NHL history to open a season with eight consecutive victories.
Kyle Connor and Mason Appleton each collected one goal and one assist, while Niklaj Ehlers and Dylan Samberg added a goal apiece for the Jets, the league’s lone unbeaten squad. Goaltender Eric Comrie made 27 saves.
With overtime looming, Perfetti notched the winning goal with 3:44 remaining in regulation by snapping a top-shelf shot from the right circle.
Appleton’s empty-net goal sealed the win.
Mikael Backlund, Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri replied for the Flames, who have lost two straight. Goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 30 shots.
The clubs traded early goals. Backlund opened the scoring 28 seconds into the clash when he buried a sharp-angled shot for his second of the season.
However, Ehlers replied with a power-play tally nearly two minutes into the clash when his crossing pass banked into the net off the skate of a Calgary defender for his fourth of the campaign.
Connor gave Winnipeg its first lead with a short-handed goal at 17:37 of the opening frame, converting the pass off the rush for his sixth goal of the season. Connor has reached the scoresheet in all eight games this season, having posted 10 points (6-4-10).
Andersson tied the game with his fourth of the season late in the second period by lifting another sharp-angled shot that beat Comrie, but Samberg put the Jets ahead again 61 seconds into the third period with another fortunate bounce. His shot banked off the end boards, ricocheted off the stick of a Flames defenseman, off Wolf and into the net for his second of the season.
However, Kadri replied at 4:19 of the period, collecting his fourth of the season by pouncing on a loose puck in the slot and whipping home a quick shot to make it a 3-3 game.
–Field Level Media
