Torgersson scores twice as Jets beat Sens in preseason tilt

WINNIPEG -When opportunity presents itself in the short National Hockey League preseason, young players have to take advantage of it.
That's what Daniel Torgersson did on Tuesday.
Winnipeg's second round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft scored twice to help the Jets to a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators at Canada Life Centre.
In fact, he even hit a post later in the game, coming within inches of a hat trick.
"It was one of the better days in Winnipeg so far," said Torgersson, who played in four games with the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose at the end of last season. "To come over here at the end of the season there, play a few pretty good games. Now I'm just going to keep going on that, take that feeling from last season and put it into this season."

Mikey Eyssimont - one of a few Jets playing in a second consecutive preseason game after a strong performance two nights ago in Edmonton - also found the back of the net, while Kyle Connor and Ville Heinola rounded out the Jets offence.
The 26-year-old Eyssimont's goal was one of two Jets power play goals on the night. When he came into the rink in the morning and saw he was on a power play unit with Connor, Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, and Nikolaj Ehlers - he was thrilled.
"I don't think I've ever played with players of that status on the power play," Eyssimont said. "Obviously it worked out pretty well. Try and help them out, getting pucks and getting it back to them."
Torgersson's first of the night came 6:05 left in the first. After Connor hung onto the puck on the left-wing side, Torgersson - fresh out of the box after serving a tripping penalty - found some space in the slot and ripped Connor's pass past Mads Sogaard.

It was just the redemption Torgersson needed.
"I took a stupid penalty in the offensive zone and then the team had a pretty good PK," said Torgersson. "I just came into the offensive zone and Connor just passed me the puck and I thought, 'I need to hit the net' and I did it."
Just 40 seconds later though, a bad bounce off the glass near the Jets bench caused some confusion in the defensive zone, and Cole Reinhardt took advantage, getting behind Neal Pionk and Dylan Samberg and beating Connor Hellebuyck high on the stick side to tie things up at one.

The Jets had an opportunity to take the lead in the second, but Saku Maenalanen rang a short side wrist shot off the post from the left wing. A few minutes later, that missed proved costly as Tyler Motte converted a two-on-one with Shane Pinto to give the Senators a 2-1 lead.
Despite the win, head coach Rick Bowness feels the Jets still have a lot of work to do this preseason.
"For a lot of guys, that was their first game but that being said, we have to play a lot faster than that."," Bowness said. ""The two things that slow you up are long shifts and turnovers and we were guilty of both tonight."
Ottawa switched their goaltender to Kevin Mandolese halfway through the second, and the Jets greeted him with three goals.

A power play with 6:44 to go in the second gave the Jets a chance to tie things up, and they did just that. Thirty seconds into that man advantage, Eyssimont redirected a one-timer from Connor, with Josh Morrissey picking up the secondary assist.
"Kyle put it right on my tape. It was one of the easier goals I've scored," Eyssimont grinned. "But it touches your stick and goes in, it feels good."
Torgersson then buried his second of the night with 4:49 left, sending a centering pass from Alex Limoges into the top corner. That was followed quickly by Winnipeg's second power play goal of the night, as Ville Heinola capitalized on a beautiful backhand pass from Adam Lowry off the rush to make it 4-2.

Pinto pulled Ottawa back within one with 24 seconds to go in the second, but the Jets held a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes. The goal came off a turnover earlier in the shift, something Bowness wants to see eliminated in the team's game, regardless of the experience level of the players on the roster.
"Veterans or not, I think we just have to learn to play the right way, and we have to stop playing slow," said Bowness. "We've been talking about shorter shifts and keeping the thing going north, the veterans have to lead the way."

Connor restored the two-goal lead 8:10 into the third. A Nikolaj Ehlers behind-the-back pass from the right side boards went off a Senator stick and popped out into open space in the circle. Connor grabbed it and snapped it past Mandolese to make it 5-3. It also capped off a three-point night for Connor.
The victory improved Winnipeg's record to 1-1-0 in the preseason, with the next tilt coming up on Thursday against Montreal.