Josh Morrissey scored in overtime and added an assist in his first game back from an injury as the Winnipeg Jets rallied past the visiting Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Saturday night.
Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists and Gabriel Vilardi also scored for the Jets, who got 21 saves from Connor Hellebuyck.
For Vancouver, Linus Karlsson had a goal and an assist and Liam Ohgren also scored. Teddy Blueger added two assists and Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves.
Vancouver opened the scoring when a streaking Karlsson fired a shot from the faceoff dot that beat a partially screened Hellebuyck high to the blocker side. The goal gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead at 7:28 of the first period.
Winnipeg controlled much of the play through the opening 30 minutes, outshooting Vancouver 10-5 and generating several quality scoring chances, but could not push the puck over the Canucks’ goal line.
The Jets finally broke through late in the second period. After a faceoff win by Toews, Scheifele corralled the puck, cut across the slot and fired a shot past Lankinen with 12 seconds remaining in the frame to tie the game heading into the third. For Winnipeg’s captain, the tally secured his fifth 30-goal campaign.
Vancouver responded quickly in the final period. A turnover in the Jets’ zone just 33 seconds into the frame ended up on the stick of Ohgren, whose shot deflected off Toews’ stick and into the net to restore the Canucks’ lead at 2-1.
Vilardi tied the game 2-2 with 4:48 remaining in regulation on the power play. After taking a pass from Scheifele, Vilardi made a couple of quick moves in tight before finishing with a backhand over a sprawling Lankinen.
In overtime, Morrissey scored the winner from high in the zone, with the puck deflecting off the skate of the Canucks’ Filip Hronek and into the net at 1:49 of the extra frame. Morrissey hadn’t played an NHL game since Jan. 4 due to an upper-body injury suffered while playing for Team Canada in the Winter Olympics.
–Field Level Media
