The Jets top line of Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine factored in three of the five Jets goals with Laine having a four point night, and Connor Hellebuyck stood tall yet again in goal with a 38 save night as the Winnipeg Jets beat the division rival Minnesota Wild in their 2019 home opener.

The Jets and Wild play a pretty wide open period by their usual standards with the shots being 16-14 for the Wild in the first twenty minutes of play. The Jets get a power play and throw a new wrinkle at everyone with @Blake Wheeler and @Patrik Laine essentially switching sides. The Jets don’t manage to get anything with the man advantage though.

The Wild do score on a bit of a controversial play as @Ryan Hartman hooks up rookie @Ville Heinola from behind just enough to cause him to stumble and get the puck past a surprised @Connor Hellebuyck.

Again the Wild out-shoot the Jets in the period 15-10 and Hellebuyck is forced to come up big a couple of different times, and a couple of defensive breakdowns by the Wild help open the door for the Jets top line of Wheeler/Scheifele/Laine as all three of them factor into the two Jets goals scored in the second.

It could have been three, but @Kyle Connor – who just can’t buy a goal to start the season – was absolutely robbed on the Wild’s doorstep.

A little bit more of an even period as there was a bit of a concern that the Jets were going to cough up a third period lead yet again, especially after the Wild tied it up early on.

Things started to get really chippy between the teams midway through the period and after this clothesline by @Carson Soucy on @Nikolaj Ehlers, it seemed to light a bit of a fire under the Jets.

Patrik Laine yet again continued to show off just how productive his summer was with this beautiful set up of a Kyle Connor goal.

Not to be outdone, @Josh Morrissey – back in the lineup after missing the last two games – pulled off an excelent toe drag and shot with @Jack Roslovic finishing the play off.

 

Minnesota really isn’t that good or particularily deep in any position and it showed in this game. Hellebuyck was oustanding through the first two periods to keep the Jets in a close game, and the Jets offense – especially the top line – came through in the end.

Hellebuyck deserves a lot of kudos for this game and on a different night would have maybe gotten the nod for a 38 save effort, bu Patrik Laine’s four point night and the manner of how he played might have been a preview of the next level the Finnish wunderkind might be hitting this season. Two goals, two assists and seven hits.

The Jets are back on the road for a game as they hop on a flight to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks on Saturday night. Puck drop will be at 6pm CST and the game will be on Sportsnet.