Jets win in Tanev's return

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The Winnipeg Jets, owners of the best regular season record in the National Hockey League, entered Climate Pledge Arena last night for the second time this season

The Seattle Kraken played the Jets (47-17-4 overall) even through 60 minutes, but for the second time this season, Winnipeg posted an overtime victory.

Dylan Samberg scored the game winner off a crossing pass from Cole Perfetti to give the Jets a 4-3 victory. The Kraken now 29-34-5 on the season, had a 2-0 lead in the first period.

``It was a good start from our group. Each and every one of our games (with Winnipeg) has been a close game,’’ said Kraken coach Dan Bylsma. ``(The loss) was disappointing. The way our guys played and the way our guys fought.’’

The first period was an eventful one in a game that marked the return of Brandon Tanev in a Jets’ uniform, an original Kraken and one of the most popular players in the teams’ brief history.

Tanev, always a sparkplug delivered a heavy hit on Seattle’s Shane Wright four minutes into the game. That brought a response from Tye Kartye (Tanev’s former linemate, no less) and after a brief scuffle, Tanev and Kartye both received minors for roughing.

That skirmish came just before the first TV timeout of the game. The Kraken were expected to play a video tribute to Tanev, and it might have been a first if the tribute ran while he was in the penalty box.

However, the tribute would come after the second TV timeout, with clips going back to the day Tanev was selected from Pittsburgh in the NHL expansion draft. Tanev played 238 games for Seattle, garnering 41 goals and 42 assists. But he was known more for his hustle, aggressiveness, long hair (he often didn’t wear a helmet in the pre-game warmups) and his iconic photo- which he often said came after he thought he saw a ghost.

Jani Nyman would put the Kraken on the scoreboard, with a power-play goal at 9:58 of the first period. Nyman’s second NHL goal looked somewhat like his first, as he took a pass from Jordan Eberle, stationed behind the net, and fired one home from the slot.

In a post-game interview Nyman, who’s trying to be conversant in English after growing up in Finland, said it wasn’t a more rewarding goal because it came against Connor Hellebuyck, considered by some the best goalie in the league.

“We’ve clearly got a good picture of what [Nyman] can do and what he can be,” said Bylsma. It's not just the shot on the power play that we've seen a couple times. He had a good time in the offensive zone with the puck.’’

Hellebuyck probably thought he’d have a quiet night sitting on the bench and watching the Jets’ other goalkeeper, Eric Comrie between the pipes. But that wasn’t totally the case.

A little over a minute into the game, the Kraken’s Matty Beniers and Jets’ defensemen Dylan DeMelo slid into Comrie. At the next play stoppage, Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel called over the officials and pointed upstairs. Apparently, someone from the Jets thought Comrie looked a little wobbly and he was pulled from the game.

Comrie would miss about 14 minutes and after being checked out by the Winnipeg medical staff returned to the net. He quickly gave up a goal to Mikey Eyssimont, his second as a Kraken, but held Seattle scoreless the remainder of the contest.

The Jets’ Cole Perfetti scored with 15 seconds remaining in the first period and Kyle Connor tied the game on a breakaway in the second. But it was an even game over two periods with each team getting eight shots in the first period and seven each in the second period.

Helped by two power plays, the Jets did have a territorial edge in the third period. However, it was after the second penalty kill, Kraken netminder Joey Daccord made his biggest save of the game- a sliding stop on Alex Iafollo while sprawled on the ice. Daccord had made a sliding save on Iafollo in the first period.

The OT loss gives the Kraken one point in the standings, and they finish the homestand with a 2-0-1 record.

Seattle begins a road trip Tuesday at Chicago

Scoring Summary

First Period

S- Jani Nyman 2 (Jordan Eberle 13, Chandler Stephenson 36) PPG 9:58.

S- Mikey Eyssimont 7 (Ryker Evans 19, Brandon Montour 22) 15:53.

W- Cole Perfetti (Dylan Samberg, Vladimir Namestikov) 19:45.

Second Period

W- Kyle Connor (Morgan Barron) 11:42.

Third Period

No scoring

Overtime

W- Samberg (Perfetti, Namestikov) :53.

Shots on Goal- Winnipeg 26 (Dylan Samberg 4), Seattle 21 (Matty Beniers 4)

Hits- Winnipeg 37 (4 with 4), Seattle 21 (Ryker Evans 4).

Penalty Minutes- Winnipeg 6, Seattle 6

Faceoffs- Winnipeg 50.0%, Seattle 50.0%.

Blocked Shots- Winnipeg 9 (Dylan Demelo, Dylan Samberg 4). Seattle 17 (Matty Beniers 4).

Referees- Graham Skilliter, Justin Kea. Linesmen- Travis Gawryletz, Trevon Hansen.

Three Stars- 1. Dylan Samberg, W. 2. Jani Nyman, S. 3. Mikey Eyssimont, S.


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