Jets stand alone: Only unbeaten NHL team after dropping Pens 6-3

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Peggy

Adam Lowry and Mason Appleton scored a pair of quick third-period goals to help the Winnipeg Jets defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 Sunday to remain the only unbeaten NHL team.

The victory extended Winnipeg’s franchise-record, season-opening win streak to five games.

Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Vladislav Namestnikov and Nino Niederreiter — into an empty net — also scored for Winnipeg (5-0-0).

Connor has scored a goal in three straight games and is on a five-game point streak (four goals, one assist).

Appleton had an assist along with his goal. Nikolaj Ehlers, Colin Miller and Josh Morrissey each contributed two assists.

Pittsburgh (3-4-0) led 2-0 in the second period with goals from Lars Eller and one from Kevin Hayes. Eller scored a second goal to tie the game 3-3 early in the third period before Winnipeg scored three in a row to secure the win.

A hockey player skates low and drags his hand across the ice surface. — Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor celebrates his goal. He has now scored in three straight games and is on a five-game point streak (four goals, one assist). (Fred Greenslade/The Canadian Press)

Both teams had backup goaltenders making their first starts of the season.

Eric Comrie made 38 saves for Winnipeg, while Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 31 shots for Pittsburgh.

Winnipeg is getting scoring from all lines and different players. Twelve players have goals this season.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh’s question marks in net continued with the third different starter in as many games. Tristan Jarry (healthy scratch) had started last Wednesday’s game against Buffalo but was pulled in favour of rookie Joel Blomqvist, who got the nod to start Friday’s game versus Carolina. Nedeljkovic was called up from a conditioning stint in the AHL to start against the Jets.

The Jets head out on a three-game road trip, beginning Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues, while the Penguins play the second game of a four-game road trip at Calgary on Tuesday.