Next day takeaways: 3 thoughts as the Winnipeg Jets defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1

The Winnipeg Jets closed out their four-game homestand on Sunday afternoon by winning their third straight game, this one a 3-1 victory over the desperate Vancouver Canucks. There was plenty to take away from the Jets’ 51st win of the 2024-25 campaign.

Cole Perfetti dazzles with highlight-reel goal

Late in the third period, with the Jets leading 2-1, Cole Perfetti threw his hat into the mix for the Jets’ goal of the year.

One-on-one with Derek Forbort along the left wall coming into the zone, Perfetti jumped to the middle of the ice and put the puck between Forbort’s feet, and as he went to shoot it, he got tripped up, but was still able to fire the puck upstairs on Thatcher Demko.

A trip that, Perfetti thought, actually helped him in that scenario.

Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)

“And so I think it actually helped, because it made the shot pretty unpredictable,” Perfetti said. “I didn’t even know where it was going. I just tried to fire it on the net. And so I think it gave Demko tougher time to read it, too, because I was kind of like falling down as I shot it. So it worked out well.”

This was yet another game in a prolonged stretch of great play from Perfetti, who has nine goals and 21 points in his last 25 games. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has more hits (26) than hits taken (19) over that time as well.

His jaw-dropping tally from Sunday’s game was a great example of the confidence he has been playing with, and while the fans inside of Canada Life Centre certainly were impressed with this one, his teammates were as well.

“I think everyone kind of gives each other that “Wow” look,” Appleton said. “You don’t see goals like that too often. Obviously, Fetts is a super skilled player. He made a great move and the finish was just as impressive. We were all wowed and looking for him to smile there.”

Ehlers-Lowry-Appleton with another strong performance

The recent injury to Gabriel Vilardi, who is week-to-week, forced Scott Arniel to juggle his lines, and his decision to reunite Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry has certainly paid off.

The Ehlers-Lowry-Appleton line controlled the shot share (8-3) and expected goals (71.82%) in their 9:37 of five-on-five minutes in this game, and even chipped in on the scoresheet, as Mason Appleton chipped in with his 10th of the season.

“I did like the fact of how we scored it because that is playoff-style hockey,” Arniel said about Appleton’s goal.

Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)

Ehlers threw the puck into the crease, Lowry created chaos on the rebound, and Appleton fought through a check and whacked home the rebound from the crease.

Whether or not Ehlers plays with Lowry or Appleton in the playoffs will likely come down to the health of Vilardi. If Ehlers and Lowry do suit up on the same line, the Jets have accumulated a decent sample of them enjoying success together.

Across their 90 minutes of even-strength hockey together, Ehlers and Lowry, regardless of their linemate, have led by percentage in the following categories:

• Goals: 3-1 (75%)
• Corsi: 58.92%
• Expected goals: 68.19%
• Scoring chances: 59.02%
• High-danger chances: 70%

Scott Arniel has appreciated the dynamic that line brings, as the game Sunday against Vancouver was yet another example of the matchup problem that line poses.

“The big thing we’ve talked about with (Lowry’s) line, with him and Appleton and Ehlers, they are still facing the other team’s top line,” Arniel said. “They saw an awful lot of (Pius) Suter. They were real good, in the sense of how physical they were. Lowry was real good. He’s getting so many chances around that net front. I know he hasn’t scored for a while, but he’s doing all of the right things. Fly gives him some speed on there.”

Connor Hellebuyck continues to build Hart Trophy case

Connor Hellebuyck is very good! End of takeaway…? Not so fast.

It was another day in the office for Hellebuyck, who stopped 23 of the 24 shots sent his way for a .958 SV% in this one, further boosting his season-long stats.

He’s now got 43 wins, a .925 SV%, a 2.02 goals-against average, and a career-high seven shutouts on the season.

Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)

It’s seemingly a two-horse race between Hellebuyck and Leon Draisaitl from the Edmonton Oilers for the NHL’s Hart Trophy, given to the Most Valuable Player. Draisaitl has 51 goals and 104 points in 69 games played, for an Edmonton team whose depth leaves something to be desired. Hellebuyck has as good of a case as anyone to be the MVP, and as Arniel said after Friday’s game, there’s no doubt that he is the Jets’ MVP.

The final two weeks of the season could be crucial for Hellebuyck building his case. The Jets finishing with the one seed in the Western Conference, and potentially even the Presidents’ Trophy, would undoubtedly add to his already mind-boggling numbers.

Up next

The Jets now hit the road for a three-game road trip, starting on Tuesday in LA against the Kings, where Cole Perfetti maintains the team will aim to take things one day, and one game, at a time: “We have a tough road trip coming up and we play some quality teams. We know what we have to do. We have to take care of our business and if we play the way we can we are pretty confident in that. Day by day. Focus on tomorrow. Focus on LA first and then move on to the next one. That is our mentality, and we are going to look to continue that on the road.”

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