By Canadian Press

Jets edge Kraken 4-3, clinch second in Central Division

Apr 16, 2024 | 7:32 PM

WINNIPEG — Kyle Connor scored twice and Tyler Toffoli broke a third-period tie to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a key 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.

The win clinched second place in the NHL Central Division for the Jets and home-ice advantage in their first-round playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche.

Winnipeg (51-24-6) also stretched its win streak to seven games in front of its eighth sold-out crowd of the season at Canada Life Centre.

Toffoli took a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers during a power play and sent a backhand shot past Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer with 8:20 remaining in the third period.

Connor’s pair of markers extended his point streak to eight games, including four goals and eight assists.

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Ehlers also scored and Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey each contributed a pair of assists.

Connor Hellebuyck made 20 saves for the Jets, who finish the regular season at home Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.

 Yanni Gourde had a goal and assist and Tomas Tatar and Tye Kartye also scored for the Kraken (33-35-13). Brandon Tanev recorded two assists.

Grubauer stopped 20 shots for Seattle, which lost its fourth game in a row and concludes its playoff-less season Thursday in Minnesota against the Wild.

Winnipeg led 2-1 after the first period and it was tied 3-3 heading into the third.

Connor scored his team-leading 33rd goal of the season at 10:33 after he flipped a high shot past Grubauer.

Tatar tied it up with 1:22 remaining, but Connor notched his second of the night with 5.8 seconds left on the clock.

Seattle outshot the Jets 8-6 in the opening period.

Ehlers swatted in his own rebound 2:30 into the second period to make it 3-1, but Seattle responded with Gourde’s tip-in goal at 5:11.

Gourde and Kartye then went in alone on Hellebuyck, with Gourde sending the puck across to Kartye for the tying goal with 1:47 left in the period.

Both teams had missed opportunities early in the third, with Seattle unable to get a loose puck and put it into an open side of Winnipeg’s net.

During Winnipeg’s second man advantage of the game, Morrissey’s point shot hit the crossbar, but Toffoli made it 4-3 at 11:40 with his 33rd goal of the season.

The Jets then went on a four-minute power play when Kraken Ryker Evans was dinged for high-sticking.

NOTES

The Jets had veteran forward Nino Niederreiter back on the ice after he missed the past five games because of skate cut that nicked his Achilles tendon. … Winnipeg forward Morgan Barron left the game in the first period and didn’t return because of a lower-body injury. … Tatar’s goal ended Winnipeg’s shutout streak at 151 minutes 19 seconds.

UP NEXT

Jets: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

Kraken: Travel to Minnesota to play the Wild Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2024.

Judy Owen, The Canadian Press