Connor scores twice on power play, Jets edge Red Wings for first win of season

DETROIT -- Kyle Connor scored two power-play goals and had an assist, and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.

All three of Winnipeg’s goals came on the power play.

“The power play obviously gave us a lot of momentum, and we stuck with it,” Connor said. “They had some good pushes in the second and third periods, but I thought we just made simple plays and stuck together.”

Cole Perfetti had a goal and two assists for the Jets (1-0-1), who lost their season opener to the Boston Bruins 4-3 in overtime at home on Friday. Stuart Skinner made 33 saves for his first win in his second start with Winnipeg.

The 27-year-old goalie signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract (average annual value of $3.75 million) on July 1.

“He’s given us solid goaltending and he’s a real popular guy,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “Your goalie has to be your best penalty-killer and he was definitely that for us tonight.”

Viktor Arvidsson and Emmitt Finnie scored for the Red Wings (0-2-0), who were shut out in their season opener 2-0 to the New York Rangers at home on Friday. John Gibson made 24 saves.

“The penalty kill failed us,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. “I thought 5-on-5, we created more chances than we did against the Rangers, but we have to find a way to finish.”

Winnipeg scored twice on the power play in a 1:32 span to take a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Perfetti opened the scoring after Detroit defenseman Justin Faulk deflected a pass from Connor off Perfetti in the slot and the puck popped over Gibson and into the net at 13:04.

Connor then scored his first goal of the game when he took a pass from Gabriel Vilardi above the right face-off circle, drove to the net and flipped a backhand over Gibson’s left shoulder at 14:36. Perfetti had the secondary assist on the play for his 100th in the NHL.

“Through two games, he has just been dominating with the puck,” Arniel said of Connor. “But the play I remember is him tracking back to break up a 3-on-2. He does those things on both ends of the ice.”

Connor made it 3-0 with another power-play goal at 5:41 of the second period, putting in a rebound from the right circle after Gibson stopped a Josh Morrissey slap shot.  

The Jets were 3-for-4 on the power play. The Red Wings were 1-for-5.

“I think it is safe to say our special teams played a huge role in that win,” Perfetti said. “The power play got three early in the game, and then the penalty kill did a great job late before they killed the 6-on-5 at the end.

“I thought it was a great team effort.”

Arvidsson scored his first goal with the Red Wings to cut the deficit to 3-1 on the power play at 16:52 of the second period. Andrew Copp fed the puck to the front of the net where it deflected in off Arvidsson's left skate.

Finnie brought Detroit to within 3-2 at 4:56 of the third period, tapping in Michael Brandsegg-Nygard’s pass from behind the net past a diving Skinner who was out of position.

The Red Wings came close to tying the game with Gibson pulled for the extra attacker, but Skinner made two saves in tight on Lucas Raymond with 26 seconds remaining. Raymond got a third chance, but it was blocked by Neal Pionk.

“Our guys are pissed when they are down, but they aren’t digging graves, they are trying to dig themselves out of a hole,” McLellan said. “Even at the end, we had the puck on (Raymond’s) stick. It just wouldn’t go in.”

NOTES: Connor has 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 17 games against the Red Wings. ... Connor passed Thomas Steen (73) for the fifth-most power-play goals in Jets history. ... Detroit dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen. ... Arvidsson signed a two-year, $10 million contract ($5 million AAV) with the Red Wings on July 1.