On Thursday, the Winnipeg Jets fell 5–3 to the Seattle Kraken, marking their fourth loss in five games as the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners continue to navigate unfamiliar territory.
Winnipeg led on three separate occasions but couldn’t find the insurance goals needed to put Seattle away. The Kraken relentlessly pushed back, scoring three times in the third period to take control. Still, there were bright spots for the Jets. Alex Iafallo scored for the second straight game after a brief point drought, and his goal also gave captain Adam Lowry his first point of the season thanks to a sharp setup. Mark Scheifele did his part with a goal, an assist, and a drawn penalty as he tried to spark a comeback, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.
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The game started off as a defensive slugfest as both sides are known for their elite defense with the Jets finally cracking the mold and getting the first goal on the board half-way through the first. After a clean breakout of their end, Winnipeg found themselves with a four-on-two odd man rush with Alex Iafallo rushing towards the netfront. Jets captain Adam Lowry holds the puck until just the right moment and fires through a pass that re-directs off Iafallo and goes in for the go-ahead goal for Winnipeg.
Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on X
Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on X Chemistry levels are off the chart 📈🤩
The Kraken were anxious to even up the score and applied an aggressive forecheck that the Jets weren’t ready for. After battling for the puck in the boards, Jaden Schwartz regains possession for the Kraken by pressuring the Jets defense. Schwartz gets the puck back along the board with Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko making sure to get in front of the net for a chance. The former second overall pick by the Rangers gets in position and tips a Schwartz shot past Winnipeg‘s Connor Hellebuyck for the tying goal.
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Things were tied after the first but the Jets lethal top line didn’t waste long to make their presence felt. Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele found room behind the Seattle defense and opened up for a breakaway as defenseman Neal Pionk, hit him with a perfect breakout pass for a solo chance. Scheifele buries the shot to put the Jets back up.
The Kraken weren’t done there as they again fought back four minutes later to tie things up. Seattle kept the puck in Winnipeg‘s end for a lengthy possession and their chance came when Kraken forward Ryan Winterton worked the puck to infront of the Jets net and with a few bounces found Vince Dunn’s stick. The Seattle defenseman was able to get enough of it to direct the puck past Winnipeg‘s Connor Hellebuyck to tie the game at two goals a piece.
Each side battled hard for the win, and the intensity showed on special teams as both traded power-play goals. The Jets closed out the second period with a strong cycle that left star winger Kyle Connor open in the high slot for a one-timer, and he made no mistake, beating Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer.
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Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) on X KYLE CONNOR on the POWER PLAY 😏
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Seattle came out energized after killing another penalty early in the third. They turned that momentum into a response on their next power-play opportunity, setting up a play eerily similar to Winnipeg’s goal. Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen ripped a one-timer from nearly the same spot Connor had scored from, snapping it past Hellebuyck to tie the game for the third time and keep the Kraken within striking distance.
The momentum was firmly on Seattle’s side following some scrums that energized the home crowd. Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo tries to keep up with Seattle’s Jordan Eberle but the former first overall pick freed himself up for a perfectly-timed cross crease pass from Kraken center Matty Beniers for the Kraken’s fourth goal on the night and giving them their first lead. Eberle sealed the win with an empty-netter for his second goal of the night, as he and Matty Beniers combined to torch the Jets on the final two tallies. Winnipeg’s last-minute push couldn’t overcome the resulting two-goal deficit.
Without a goal on Thursday, Nyquist has failed to score in his first 12 games of the season, marking his slowest start of his career, tying his longest goal drought to begin a season since his rookie year in 2011-12. Winnipeg‘s Tanner Pearson also continue his scoring drought, now at 13 games with many fans wondering if he’ll continue to hold his spot in the lineup moving forward.
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The Jets will look to rebound Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada when playing the Calgary Flames in an all-Canadian clash that fans won’t want to miss. The matchup will be the last stop of Winnipeg‘s lengthy five-game road trip and will see them return home to play the Columbus Blue Jackets next Tuesday.
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