By Canadian Press

Connor’s hat trick leads Jets past Predators 6-3

Nov 9, 2023 | 8:22 PM

WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor scored a hat trick and added one assist in leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night. 

Connor is now up to five goals in his last two games. 

Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton and Brenden Dillon added the others for Winnipeg (7-4-2), which extended its winning streak to three games.

Mark Scheifele picked up three assists and Laurent Brossoit made 20 saves.

Filip Forsberg, with a pair of goals, and Philip Tomasino replied for Nashville (5-8-0), which dropped its second straight game and fourth in its last five.

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Juuse Saros stopped 31-of-36 shots.

Appleton opened the scoring just 4:04 into the first period, with his shot deflecting off Predators defenceman Tyson Barrie and in.

Forsberg knotted the score at 1-1 with a beautiful play at the 6:43 mark. He took the puck inside the blue line, deked around Jets defenceman Nate Schmidt and beat Brossoit alone in front.

Winnipeg took a 3-1 lead early in the second period when Connor scored two goals just under three minutes apart.

Connor took a pass from Scheifele and sniped a shot past Saros at 1:05. 

Then at the 3:48 mark, Connor was again on the receiving end of a pass from Scheifele, skated around the Nashville defence and slid a backhand shot underneath Saros.

Perfetti increased the lead when he scored on the power play at 10:33, converting on a rebound from the side of the net.

Forsberg responded for the Predators at 12:05 of the middle frame. He scored his second of the game by firing a shot past Brossoit from the faceoff circle.

Dillon salted the game away, scoring on a point shot at 12:51 of the third period. The officials initially waved it off due to goalie interference, then overturned the call.

With Saros pulled, Tomasino scored with 4:44 left in the third to make it a 5-3 game.

But Connor completed his hat trick and iced the contest with an empty-net goal just 28 seconds later. 

NOTES 

Scheifele had one power-play point in the game to move past Dustin Byfuglien (165) into fourth on the club’s all-time list. His power-play assist was the 100th of his career. … Perfetti extended his point streak to five games.

UP NEXT 

Winnipeg will host the Dallas Stars on Saturday afternoon. 

The Predators return to Nashville to host the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2023.

Jim Bender, The Canadian Press