WINNIPEG, Manitoba — In a thrilling come-from-behind victory, the Winnipeg Jets secured their landmark 10th consecutive win by defeating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in overtime on Monday night. Josh Morrissey was pivotal in this win, tying the game in the final minute of regulation, while Mark Scheifele scored the decisive goal just 1:33 into overtime.
Connor Hellebuyck was solid in goal for the Jets, making 17 saves to keep his team in the game. On the other side, William Eklund scored the lone goal for the Sharks, while goaltender Vitek Vanecek was busy with 33 saves throughout the game.
Morrissey’s equalizer came with a powerful slap shot from the top of the circle with only 26 seconds remained, after the team had pulled Hellebuyck in favor of an extra attacker—marking Morrissey’s eighth goal of the season. Scheifele’s game-winner was a backhand shot, marking his 32nd goal of the season and the 329th of his career, a new franchise record for the Jets, surpassing the previous mark set by Ilya Kovalchuk during the team’s days as the Atlanta Thrashers.
San Jose’s Eklund managed a high one-timer past Hellebuyck during a 4-on-3 power play, the goal coming with 4:53 left in the opening period. The Sharks earned two power plays in the second period before Winnipeg was awarded its first of the contest, but they couldn’t capitalize, with Vanecek thwarting all scoring opportunities.
The Jets were again unable to convert during a power play early in the third. Colin Miller came close, hitting the post halfway through the final period. The fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the officiating by booing during the Canadian national anthem.
Taking stock of the teams’ performances, the Sharks entered the match with the 26th-ranked power play in the league, but they did score with just six seconds left in a first-period 4-on-3 situation, finishing 1 for 3. Meanwhile, Hellebuyck was instrumental by twice denying Macklin Celebrini during a critical second-period power play.
Morrissey’s clutch performance, tying the game with 26 seconds to spare, proved decisive in sending the game to overtime. As a key statistic, the Jets improved to 2-8-1 when trailing after two periods. In contrast, the Sharks now possess a 9-6-3 record when leading after two periods.
Looking ahead, the Sharks are set to visit Montreal this Thursday, while the Jets will face off against the Ottawa team on Wednesday.
