By Canadian Press

Connor’s OT winner leads Jets to 2-1 win over Predators, snap two-game skid

Dec 15, 2022 | 8:28 PM

WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor scored the game-winning goal 3:31 into overtime to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. 

Dylan DeMelo added the other for Winnipeg (19-9-1), which snapped a two-game losing streak. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots. 

Filip Forsberg scored the lone goal for Nashville (12-12-4). Juuse Saros made an impressive 39 saves.

The Predators dropped their fifth in a row, and have not won since Dec. 2. 

After going into the first intermission tied at 1-1, neither side got a puck through in the second and third periods.

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Midway through the third, Hellebuyck stopped Cody Glass on a partial breakaway on one of 11 shots he faced in the frame.

Winnipeg outshot Nashville 19-8 in the second as both goaltenders came up big on a number of strong scoring chances. 

Saros grabbed a rebound off a point shot from Brenden Dillon out of the air with two Jets on his doorstep during a power play. Saros also stopped a snap shot from Connor from in close. 

Hellebuyck made a quick stop on an attempted tip-in off a pass from Matt Duchene. Hellebuyck also stopped Cole Smith on a partial breakaway with the Predators on the man advantage. 

DeMelo knotted the score 15:24 into the opening period with his first of the season. After falling to the ice, he slid the puck in off a centring pass from Connor.

The Predators opened the scoring 9:04 into the first with their first shot on goal. Forsberg capped off a pretty passing play, beating Hellebuyck from the left faceoff circle. 

JETS INJURY WOES 

Jets defenceman Nate Schmidt took a hard hit from Predators forward Tanner Jeannot late in the first period and had to be helped off the ice and was ruled out of the game.

Winnipeg forward Blake Wheeler took a wicked shot from the point by teammate Josh Morrissey midway through the second. Wheeler left the ice on his own in obvious pain and did not return for the rest of the second. However, he was back on the ice for the third period. 

 MILESTONES 

Predators captain Roman Josi had scored 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in his last 20 games heading into Thursday’s game. With 565 points, he still needs one more to tie David Legwand for the most points in franchise history (566) and two points to pass him. Josi also played his 787 career-NHL game against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, the most ever by a Swiss-born player.

UP NEXT    

Jets: Will play the first of a two-game road trip in Vancouver against the Canucks on Saturday. 

Predators: Will play against the Avalanche in Colorado on Saturday. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2022.

Jim Bender, The Canadian Press