An extremely slow start proved very costly for the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday in Vancouver.
The Canucks scored three goals in the first period, two more in the second, and salted it away with an empty netter in the third for a commanding 6-2 victory.
The loss ended the Jets’ three-game win streak.
The Canucks turned the tables on the Jets after Winnipeg won their first meeting 6-1 back in January.
“We certainly made some early mistakes,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “Gave up a lot more rush opportunities than we ever have I think in a game.
“That late goal at the end of the first, a little bit of a backbreaker, but after that – the second period I thought we had some great zone time, some great opportunities. Goalie made some big stops.”
Brock Boeser and Pius Suter each had a pair of markers in the win, while Nikolaj Ehlers and Alex Iafallo replied in the loss.
It’s just the second time all season the Jets have surrendered six goals in a game, and the first since way back in October.
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Connor Hellebuyck allowed five goals in a game for just the third time all season, and the first since November 16.
“This isn’t on him,” Arniel said. “At the end of the day, if it’s 50-60 shots coming at him it’s a little different thing. But a lot of them, they were mistakes that we made and ended up in the back of the net.
“We know what he’s done for us all year long and we’ll just get right back on the horse and he’ll go back at Edmonton.”
“It’s not going to be perfect completely every time,” said Iaffalo. “With that, we got to back him up and help him out in any situation.”
Kyle Connor appeared in his 600th career NHL game in the defeat.
The Jets and Canucks started the game out slow with only one shot apiece in the first four minutes until the Canucks had a 3-on-2. Teddy Blueger passed it back to Quinn Hughes who threw it across for a one-timer which was buried by Drew O’Connor to open the scoring.
The Canucks nearly took a two-goal lead after Hellebuyck gave away the puck behind the net, but he dove back to make a miraculous stop with the paddle of his stick right on the goal line.
Ehlers tied the game off a rush, firing it in from the hash marks to make it 1-1.
But it was a disastrous final two minutes to the first for Winnipeg. A Hughes blast was tipped in by Boeser on the power play to get the lead back.
And then Nils Hoglander finished off a pretty passing play with just three seconds left in the period to make it 3-1 after one period.
The Jets climbed back to within one in the second after Iafallo chipped in a loose puck past Kevin Lankinen to make it 3-2.
But only a few minutes later, Boeser knocked in a loose puck after Hellebuyck made the initial save for his second goal of the game.
Pius Suter scored only 46 seconds later to make it a three-goal lead.
The Jets couldn’t get anything to go in during the third before Suter added an empty netter with four seconds remaining to seal the victory.
The Jets were outshot 22-21 as Hellebuyck made only 16 saves, while Lankinen finished with 19 stops.
Winnipeg will look to bounce back on Thursday when the three-game road trip concludes against the Edmonton Oilers starting at 8:00 o’clock Manitoba time.
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