Like many a downtrodden gambler, the Winnipeg Jets just can’t seem to solve Vegas.
A 4-3 loss in Sin City to the Golden Knights Friday night marked the seventh straight regular season defeat for Winnipeg at the hands of Vegas, and if you include the first-round playoff defeat in 2023, Winnipeg is now 1-11 in their last 12 against the Golden Knights.
After some rough first periods of late, the Jets got on the board first in this one thanks to Cole Perfetti. He tipped home a Josh Morrissey point shot at the 6:57 mark for his first goal since Nov. 3 and first non-empty net goal since scoring the winner in Calgary Oct. 26.
Vegas failed on a pair of first period power plays before Winnipeg had a chance late in the period, but during the power play Nikolaj Ehlers left the game with an injury and did not return.
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Coming out of the failed power play look, Winnipeg kept possession in the offensive end but things went awry went Morgan Barron tried to make a blind pass near the blue line. It was picked off by Oakbank native Brett Howden, who sped past a flat-footed Logan Stanley and skated in on Eric Comrie, outwaiting the Jets’ backup and tucking it home to level the score with 1:47 to go in the period.
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Vegas grabbed the lead with just 16 seconds to go in the period when Ivan Barbashev banged home a rebound to make it 2-1 heading to the second.
The Golden Knights outshot the Jets 14-6 in the first but Winnipeg had a better middle frame, edging Vegas 9-7 in shots on goal and tying the game in the process.
Morrissey led the Jets up the ice on an odd-man rush and fired a hard shot that was kicked out by Adin Hill, but the rebound went right to the stick of Perfetti and he buried it for his second of the night at the 14:28 mark of the second.
The game remained tied until the 4:43 mark of the third. Vegas was cycling the puck around Winnipeg’s zone when it bounced off the skate of Alex Iafallo in the slot to the stick of Jack Eichel. Iafallo got turned around as Barbashev skated loose into the slot, where he took a pass from Eichel and buried it for his second of the night.
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Winnipeg answered back at the 8:55 mark when a point shot from Neal Pionk found its way through a screen and past Hill to make it 3-3.
But with just over four minutes left, William Karlsson skated the puck into the Winnipeg end and drew the attention of multiple Jets before sending a perfect backdoor pass to a wide-open Howden, who tapped it home to make it 4-3.
Winnipeg had a late power play look and pulled Comrie late in that opportunity but they weren’t able to find the equalizer as they fell to 1-3 in their last four games.
It’s also the first time all season the Jets have lost a game when scoring first.
Winnipeg will wrap up this six-game road swing Sunday afternoon in Dallas.
