The Winnipeg Jets had every reason to stop believing in it. They lost four goals in the third period, less than three minutes from a 10th consecutive defeat, in their fifth game in eight nights. Their coach was in the hot seat. Their season was rocked early on when former MVP guard Connor Hellebuyck requested a trade.
The Bell Center was roaring and a victory for the Montreal Canadiens seemed certain, but Kyle Connor still had confidence.
“Always,” the Jets winger said.
Connor scored twice and Dylan Samberg won it in overtime as Winnipeg rallied to the last four-goal comeback in NHL history Tuesday night, stunning the Canadiens 5-4 to end a nine-game skid.
Winnipeg scored four goals in two minutes and six seconds to tie the game with 33 seconds left in regulation, before Samberg beat Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler with a wrist shot 3:30 into overtime.
“What a way to end the streak we were on,” Connor said.
The Jets had controlled most of the play before the rally, but Fowler, the NHL’s rookie of the month for October, looked unbeatable. The 21-year-old American made 19 saves in the second period alone, including several incredible saves on Mark Scheifele.
Jets defenseman Tyrel Bauer played his part in turning things around. A sixth-round pick playing his 10th NHL game, Bauer dropped the gloves against Canadiens heavyweight Arber Xhekaj with 9:20 remaining in regulation. Xhekaj fired up the crowd and was quickly joined in the penalty box by his younger brother, Florian, both smiling together on the arena’s big screen.
But Bauer had the last laugh, scoring his first career goal with 2:39 left in regulation to spark the comeback.
“It’s a long, difficult time, but this group believed in each other,” Bauer said, his fists still dripping with blood from his clash with the elder Xhekaj. “We were back to back in that room, the guys were supporting me on the ice tonight. I passed out for the rest of it. I don’t know if I wanted to win a hockey game anymore in my life.”
Morgan Barron made it 4-2 at 18:03, with Bauer getting an assist that completed his hat-trick from Gordie Howe. Connor then tied it with two one-timers 27 seconds apart, with the goalie pulled — the second on the power play — before Samberg finished the job in overtime.
In the Canadian locker room, the players struggled to explain how they collapsed.
“I guess (we) thought the game was over,” said Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, who scored his second of the game early in the third period to make it 4-0. “We were four goals ahead. There’s no excuse for that. It’s terrible.”
Head coach Martin St Louis said the Canadiens “got what we deserved.”
“We were winning, but we weren’t dominating them,” he said. “If you look at the game as a whole, forget about the score, Winnipeg was the better team tonight. How it all happened, it’s hard to explain. I’ve never been part of anything like that.”
The Jets entered desperate for their first win since Oct. 13, and their first since Hellebuyck’s trade to the New Jersey Devils ended a tumultuous end to his tenure with the Jets. They were coming off a 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, which Connor, an 11-year veteran, called a “low point” with the franchise. The loss raised questions about Arniel’s future behind the bench ahead of Tuesday night’s game.
It’s a night the Jets hope to look back on as a turning point in their season.
“I’m so happy we won tonight and got this win,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “It’s not February or March. To me, we’re still in the race. Before this game, we were four points out of a playoff spot in the West. We just have to stay in the pack. I know it’s been a grind for us, but we just have to stay in it. And I hope this is the boost we needed.”
Gn sports
