Josh Morrissey broke a 3-3 tie with 6:10 remaining in the third period, lifting the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night.
The Jets secured their second consecutive win, following up on a 6-3 triumph over the Minnesota Wild.
“This is huge,” Morrissey said. “We know where we stand in the rankings, and we need every point and win we can get right now. Our game has been strong since coming back from the break, and after an emotional win last night, it was important to rebound against a team that was fresh and waiting for us. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but it was a crucial win. We need to keep stacking these wins if we want to make a run.”
Morrissey’s game-winner came off a perfect pass from Kyle Connor, allowing him to beat Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer cleanly.
“He’s (Morrissey) back to being the player we knew he could be,” Jets coach Dave Lowry said, noting that Morrissey had endured the loss of his father last season. “It was tough for him, but now he’s enjoying the game again, having fun, and playing at the level we all expected.”
Dominic Toninato, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Blake Wheeler also scored for Winnipeg. Kyle Connor, who assisted Morrissey’s goal, added an empty-netter at the final buzzer. Eric Comrie made 20 saves, and Dylan DeMelo contributed two assists.
For Seattle, Vince Dunn, Marcus Johansson, and Jordan Eberle found the back of the net. Grubauer stopped 24 shots.
Seattle tied the game at 3-3 at 7:02 of the third period when Eberle tipped in a pass from Johansson at the crease.
“We created enough chances,” Eberle said. “But we gave up too much in return. We traded opportunities with a team that had a lot of firepower. We started well, but that short-handed goal in the first really deflated us. That can’t happen. We fought back and had our chances, but ultimately, we left (Grubauer) too exposed. They got some good looks, and much of that was on us.”
Wheeler, who finished with two points, gave the Jets a 3-2 lead at 11:54 of the second period, converting a pass from Paul Stastny, who had stolen the puck in the corner before feeding Wheeler.
The Jets had tied the game 2-2 early in the second period. Fresh out of the penalty box, Dubois fired a sharp-angled shot that beat Grubauer just 1:45 in.
The Kraken had taken a 2-1 lead into the second period. Winnipeg cut into a 2-0 deficit when Toninato scored a short-handed goal with 13 seconds left in the first period. With Dubois in the box for high sticking, Toninato capitalized on a perfect pass from Adam Lowry, scoring into an open net with Grubauer out of position.
Seattle initially jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Dunn scored first, with a slap shot from the point that beat a screened Comrie at 3:21 of the first period while Winnipeg’s Logan Stanley was off for boarding. Johansson added the second goal at 12:15, beating Comrie from the slot.
“The short-handed goal at the end of the first period and the early goal at the start of the second really gave them a lot of momentum,” said Kraken coach Dave Hakstol. “That led to a strong second period for them.”
Game Notes
The Jets were without veteran forward Andrew Copp, who suffered an undisclosed injury on Wednesday. Kristian Vesalainen replaced him in the lineup. … Former Jets forward Mason Appleton played his first game in Winnipeg since being left unprotected in the NHL expansion draft. He had five goals and 13 points heading into Thursday’s game.
UP NEXT
- Seattle: Visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
- Winnipeg: Host the Edmonton Oilers in the finale of a four-game homestand.
