Nikolaj Ehlers netted the decisive goal just over a minute into overtime, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a thrilling 4-3 victory against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night. With this win, the Jets maintained their perfect record for the season, now standing at a remarkable 7-0. Nino Niederreiter was instrumental in the win, contributing two goals, while Gabriel Vilardi also added a score. Connor Hellebuyck was solid in goal, making 29 saves throughout the contest.
The scoring was initiated by Matty Beniers of the Kraken, who found the back of the net first at 11:27 during the opening period, giving Seattle an early 1-0 advantage. However, the lead did not last long; in the second period, Niederreiter responded with an equalizer just past the three-minute mark. The Jets took the lead at 15:05 of the second period when Vilardi cleverly slipped a puck past Seattle’s goaltender, Joey Daccord, making it 2-1 in favor of Winnipeg.
Niederreiter struck again early in the third period, extending the Jets’ lead to 3-1. Despite the setback, the Kraken persevered. Jordan Eberle managed to narrow the gap with a goal at 9:58, scoring his sixth of the season in Seattle’s opening eight games. Beniers then scored his second goal of the night with just over three minutes remaining, leveling the score at 3-3 and sending the game into overtime.
Daccord ended the match with 32 saves, helping his team fight back to force extra time.
In terms of noteworthy observations, Beniers’ goals marked his first two of the current season; notably, he did not score his second goal until the 18th game of the previous season. On the other hand, the Jets’ explosive offense ranks second in the league, having achieved three or more goals in four consecutive games and in five of their seven contests thus far.
A significant moment occurred during the second period when the Kraken thought they had taken a 2-1 lead thanks to a goal from Oliver Bjorkstrand. However, after a review, the goal was disallowed due to interference with the goaltender. Shortly after, Vilardi scored for Winnipeg, intensifying the sting of the overturned goal.
Statistically, the Jets outshot the Kraken 29-20 by the end of the first period, capitalizing on four of those shots for goals.
Looking ahead, the Jets are set to face off against the Calgary Flames on Saturday evening, while the Kraken will take on the Carolina Hurricanes at home.